Plumber's Charm
by TempestDash
Summary: The Tennysons have been at the vanguard of Earth's defense for generations, but when their oldest enemy returns for revenge, it will take more than the Ultimatrix to stop him. Fortunately Paradox has found some help... in the Null Void.
1. Prologue

_Universe Note: This series largely replaces Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and only assumes episodes 1-4 (specifically "Hit 'Em Where They Live") have occurred. Agreggor does not exist in this universe. Sorry, I started writing this so long ago it's better to place this in an AU than try to correct for the entire Agreggor Arc._

_Summary: The Tennysons have been at the vanguard of Earth's defense for generations, but when their oldest enemy returns for revenge, it will take more than the Ultimatrix to stop him. Fortunately Paradox knows where to find help: the Null Void?_

* * *

**Prologue**

_July 8th, 1821_

_Corydon, Indiana_

* * *

A flash of yellow light arced across the night sky, bringing light to the bluegrass dusting the hills beside a trio of tall houses on a narrow stone road. The light crashed into the ground and exploded brightly, flinging clumps of dirt and grass high into the air where a slim figure with a narrow body and an elongated head swiftly flew overhead.

"I've definitely found him," the figure said aloud. His voice was high pitched and he was breathing hard. "That is, unless this planet is fond of high wattage plasma rifles, which seems at least a few tech levels above animal-pulled carriages."

The figure flew high into the sky, flipped end over end and then landed on the roof of the tallest house. He leaned to one side and then the other. "Hang on, I can't see him. Mark my coordinates and get your _schoddins_ over here before he gets away."

The figure dropped down to the ground and pulled out a crooked metal object. He walked cautiously around the corner of the house, stopping periodically to look back. He held the silver weapon out in front as he approached the door leading into the home. Reaching out a hand slowly, he grasped the doorknob.

The door burst outwards catching the figure by surprise. Within an instant, a polearm had struck his wrist, knocking the silver object to the air. A large, heavyset man moved faster than his body type would seem to allow and tackled the figure to the ground, pinning him beneath his weapon.

The shadowy figure struggled briefly before he heard his own weapon being lifted and pointed at his head. He looked up to see the human man kneeling on his chest and aiming the silver gun into his face.

"I don't know what sort of beast you are, son, but I wouldn't move if you know what's good for you," said the man.

The shadowy figure got a better look at the human as the moon moved from behind the clouds. The man looked older, perhaps in his forties, with short gray hair, heavy set, and wearing soiled workman's clothes with an assortment of tools hanging out of pockets or holes in his outfit. The polearm he was wielding was revealed under the light to, in fact, be a shovel.

Strangely, the shadowy figure remained just as nondescript, even in the direct moonlight.

"Please," said the shadow. "Be careful with that gun."

"Why can't I see you," said the man.

"I'm a Lumerian," said the shadow. "I can control how much light reflects off of me. If you give me a second, I'll stop absorbing."

The man narrowed his eyes but nodded silently.

The shadow shimmered subtly and like someone slowly turning up the light in a room his body revealed itself. He was a tall, lanky looking creature with light blue skin and large, reflective yellow eyes that covered most of his face above his tiny nose and a recessed jaw. His torso was covered in a shiny gray suit with a streak of black running straight down the center of his body.

"You a monster?" asked the man.

"My name is Ion. I'm not from your planet, but from a distant star about... oh, I'd say fifteen thousand light-years from here in the Sagittarius arm of the galaxy." The alien looked around quickly. "I am here chasing another alien, a dangerous criminal wanted for many murders. He is a threat to this city and possibly your planet if I don't find him."

"Another monster?" the man said.

"Alien," clarified Ion. "There isn't a lot of time. You might have seen the lights in the sky a few minutes ago, that was his ability, to be able to throw highly charged electron pulses."

"Elec-what?"

"Bad things," sighed Ion. "I can stop him but you have to let me go."

The man stared for a few seconds and Ion couldn't tell if he was considering the offer or still trying to figure out what a 'charged electron pulse' was.

"What's an elect-" was all that the man could say before a yellow beam of narrow light struck him in the chest and flung him several feet to the side.

Ion immediate rolled onto his chest and pushed himself into the air, narrowly avoiding getting shot himself. He twisted through the air, weaving around the ensuing beams of light. He could feel the heat of the bolts as they sailed just over his head.

"Bested by a human," said a deep, rumbling voice in the direction of the shots. "Pathetic."

Ion tried to locate his target but with the amount of dodging and weaving he was doing, it was nearly impossible. "What brings you to such a pathetic planet, then, Brozz?" he said.

Laughter boomed from the ground. "Don't you know? Oh, how the mighty have fallen! You used to be a formidable enemy, Ion, but now you people are no better than this planets pathetic militia."

"We still have a few surprises," said Ion. His voice changed timber and he shouted: "Steek! Aim and fire!"

A blaze of green-white light cascaded from the sky and landed in a large six foot wide circle beside the house, crackling loudly and setting fire to the ground at the perimeter of the blast. The light lasted a second then died away, leaving a smoking crater and a hunched, scaled lizard-like humanoid without a tail standing on the glowing red rocks forming a perfect circle.

"You used a particle weapon? On me?" said Brozz, incredulously. "Have you never even _encountered_ a Chamatronian before?"

Ion frowned and his eyes slightly tilted. "Apparently not," he said. "Guess we gotta do this the old fashioned way." He twisted his body slightly then quickly flew directly at the still smoldering crater, picking up speed rapidly, until he slammed right into the lizard-like Chamatronian and forced him to the ground. The two cut through the earth like a plow, destroying the porch of the house and leaving a trail leading out into the corn fields below the hills.

When the two came to rest finally, Ion leapt again to his feet and reached for his gun... then realized he has lost it to the human man minutes earlier. The second's hesitation, however, was all that Brozz needed to reorient himself and he swept the Lumerian's legs, knocking him to the ground.

Ion groaned loudly as he tried to ignore the pain of the fall. "Any time now, guys, backup would really be appreciated."

"Your time is up, pest," said Brozz. He raised a fist that began to glow brightly yellow. He lifted it high above his head and smiled as if pleased with himself. Then he swung it down.

Just before his glowing fist reached Ion, Brozz was suddenly struck with something fast and heavy, knocking him violently to the ground and snapping his arm like a twig under its impact.

Brozz howled in pain and cradled his arm, looking back at his attacker.

The human man stood over Ion and facing Brozz, holding a large sledgehammer in his hands. The man was slowly turning the hammer, adjusting his grip as he stood.

"This is our planet, son," said the man. "You'd best be moving on now."

"Savage!" screamed Brozz as he lifted his good arm and pointed at the man. His fingertips crackled with energy and a large yellow ball of light formed between them. A second later the ball exploded out from the palm of Brozz's hand and streaked towards his target.

The man's eyes widened and held up his sledgehammer instinctively. He swung the large hammer without thinking just as the beam impacted the long metal shaft of the sledge. The yellow light splintered dramatically with most of the smaller rays flying into the sky.

"How—?" started Brozz, but the human man was already upon him. Swinging upwards, Brozz was struck squarely on the chest and flung onto his back hard, knocking the wind out of him. A follow up strike into the side caused him to skitter across the ground and roll to a stop by a carriage sitting in the house's driveway. The scaled alien lay slumped on the ground, slowly breathing but otherwise still.

The man dropped the head of his sledgehammer onto the ground and leaned against it to catch his breath.

Ion hobbled up next to him and looked at the unconscious and heavily battered Brozz. "That was a most impressive display."

"Eh," grunted the man. "Goes with the job."

Ion shook his head. "You've you had to deal with aliens on a regular basis?"

"Maybe not aliens," said the man. "But there's been some weird stuff caught in the drainage recently."

Ion nodded. "It might be more alien than you think. Your planet has been relatively untouched this close to the rim, but the habited area of the galaxy is growing and soon you'll be well within its range. Maybe a hundred years or so before you can start to expect lots of visitors."

The man straightened himself slightly then lifted his hammer and rested it on his shoulder. "What now?"

Ion gestured towards Brozz. "Whenever my partner shows up we'll take Brozz back for trial. You won't have to worry about him anymore."

"You some sort of police?" asked the man, raising an eyebrow.

"Not exactly," said Ion. "We are the —" He stopped suddenly and then looked down at his waist. A faintly glowing circular disc hung there and flashed green twice. It had a symbol on it that looked like an hourglass. "It seems there is no word in your language that fully describes it." Ion raised his hand and scratched his chin. "Well, in essence it is no different than what you said you did. We clean weird things out of the drain when they get caught."

"You're plumbers?" asked the man.

"Metaphorically speaking, of course," said Ion. He hesitated again. "Hmm. Yes. We are Plumbers. I'll make a note in the translation file." He tapped on the green disc and turned it a few times until it dislodged from his belt. He held it out towards the man.

"I must commend you for your help in stopping Brozz. He could very well have killed me if you hadn't intervened." Ion's mouth turned up slightly in what was possibly a smile. "Please, take this, as an honorary 'Plumber.'"

The man took the disc and looked at it closely. "Thanks."

"Thank _you_, sir," said Ion. "If you ever need help simply hold down the center symbol, and I or another Plumber will come to your aid at the fastest speed." He reached out and turned the outer ring of the disc a quarter to the left then a full circle to the right. "Please, state your name, so I may register this to you."

The man cleared his throat and leaned slightly into the disc in his hand.

"Wilbur Tennyson."


	2. Chapter 1  Date Night

**Chapter 1 – Date Night**

_July 8th, 2010_

_Bellwood, California_

* * *

"Ben?" a voice called out from the yard.

"Ben?" the voice repeated.

"Benjamin Tennyson!"

"What?" an annoyed voice finally replied.

"Where are you?" said the first voice.

"On the roof," said Ben, sounding bored.

Julie Yamamoto, Ben's girlfriend, walked further away from the Tennyson house and turned to look up at the roof. Sure enough, there was Ben, in his green jacket with the number ten on one side, black shirt and blue jeans, sitting with his knees against his chest and looking dejected out at the setting sun.

"What are you _doing_ up there?" asked Julie. She looked around briefly to see if there was an easy way to climb up there to join him. There wasn't. "_How_ did you get up there?"

"I've been having... a problem... with Benwolf," said Ben, without looking down to meet Julie's eyes.

"What sort of problem?" asked Julie. She raised a dark eyebrow and put her hands in the pockets of her pink hooded jacket. "A _Big Chill_ sort of problem?"

"No, nothing like that," said Ben. "I haven't lost control or anything, it's just that every time I try to go hero, I end up changing into Benwolf, regardless of who I select on the Ultimatrix."

"Okay," said Julie, shrugging. "Maybe it's a bug. Albedo isn't the genius Azmuth was, maybe he broke something when he was modifying the Ultimatrix." She tilted her head slightly. "What's a Benwolf anyway? I don't remember that one."

"He's an alien who's DNA I captured when I was still a ten year old," said Ben. "He's just a big warewolf-like alien. I haven't used him since I was ten, but all of a sudden he's all I can change into. It started last week, when we were fighting that Polysophotodon."

"The green jellyfish?"

"Yeah, that one." Ben sighed. "I tried to change into Big Chill but ended up as Benwolf."

"You used to have problems selecting aliens before, though, right?" asked Julie.

"Well, when I was kid, yes," said Ben. "But that was before I learned some of the configuration codes and was able to set it up right. I shouldn't be having these troubles now."

"I still blame Albedo," said Julie. "But that doesn't answer my question. Why are you on the roof?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure," said Ben. "Benwolf gets kind of ... animalistic sometimes."

"Animalistic?"

"I just get these strange instincts that I can't fight, like scratching my neck with my hind paws or something. Anyway, the last two times I changed into him I've felt the need to climb up onto something tall and stare at the sun. So this is where I ended up when I changed back."

"On the roof," said Julie, flatly.

"It's actually quite nice. Peaceful."

"Right. Well, I'm going to go inside then, where there's less crazy."

"Could you get me a ladder?" asked Ben.

Julie cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled. "Ship!"

A distant chirping came from behind the house and a black and green vaguely quadrupedal blob came bounding out and stopped in front of the young Japanese girl.

"Ship!" the blob said.

"Ship, can you help Ben down from the roof?"

"Ship! Ship!" said Ship. It hopped over to the edge of the roof and began to shudder. "Shiiiiiiip!" It stretched and deformed into large forklift. The forks raised up with a sound like a motor until they touched the roof of the house.

Ben stood up and hopped onto the fork as Ship lowered them back to the ground. "Uh, thanks, Ship."

Ship quickly snapped back to its blob-like shape and hopped up and down cheerfully. "Ship!"

Ben crossed over to the door where Julie was waiting.

"Is this going to be a problem?" asked Julie. "I mean, if you can only turn into one alien, it could be an issue."

"I just hope it doesn't last," admitted Ben. "Maybe I should try to contact Azmuth. See what he has to say about it. Though, last time he talked to me he gave me one of those looks."

"Looks?" asked Julie as they walked into the house. She had been at Ben's place so many times by this point she was almost as comfortable as she was in her own home. She went into the kitchen to get some popcorn while Ben took of his jacket and hung it by the door.

"You know, those, 'The Omnitrix is not a toy!' looks whenever he thinks I'm abusing my power or something."

"He has a look for that?"

"Sure, it's all, big eyed with a tilted head."

"His eyes are always big," Julie called from the kitchen. "Compared to his body anyway."

"You know what I mean." Ben shook his head and headed for the couch. Julie appeared a half a minute later with a bowl of popcorn. "He said the 'Ultimate Aliens' were not an intended usage of the Ultimatrix and that I shouldn't use them. But he's always like that about anything cool."

"He's usually right," Julie pointed out.

"And it usually works itself out in the end," Ben shrugged. "Anyway, I'm not sure he'll help me if he knows how often I've gone into Ultimate Big Chill." He took a handful of popcorn.

"It can't hurt," said Julie. "Or get used to being Benwolf."

Ben was silent for a minute, staring at the TV.

"Ben?" Julie said.

"Hmm?"

"You're staring at the TV."

"Yeah, I do that a lot."

"It's off," she pointed out.

Ben blinked. She was right. "Oh."

"So what're you thinking about now?" Julie said with a smile.

"Something that ... I'm not sure, something I sensed when I was Benwolf on the roof."

"Sensed?"

"Smelled I guess," said Ben. "Something familiar, but old. I can't quite place it, but I know I've smelled it before."

"A bad guy?"

"I don't think so," said Ben. "At least, Benwolf isn't agitated about it. He's actually quite calm. Like it's soothing."

"The scent that soothed the savage beast," said Julie.

He sighed. "I hate problems like this. There's nothing to beat up on."

"Aw, poor baby," mocked Julie.

**=== (X) ===**

"I hate these sort of problems, there's nothing to beat up on," said Kevin. He pulled uncomfortably at his tie. It was crooked. No matter what he did, it remained crooked. That seemed physically impossible and yet, here he was, looking in the mirror, and incapable of straightening his tie.

Kevin grumbled and ran a hand through his dark hair. He hated dressing up all fancy. Why couldn't he just wear his jeans and shirt to dinner? It's not like clothes made anything taste different.

He pulled at his tie again. It defied him openly. He needed a more delicate touch to resolve this battle.

"Mom!" Kevin called. A few moments later his mother came into the bathroom. "Can you fix this?"

"I'm not going to let you dress in jeans for your date with Gwen, sweetie," said Mrs. Levin.

"That's not what I meant. I mean this tie, it's all crooked and I can't figure out why."

Mrs. Levin laughed as she reached up and loosened Kevin's tie and then lifted it over his head. "You look just as comfortable in a suit as your father did." She undid the knot and then began to tie it around her own neck. "I could have sworn he was going to show up for our wedding in his Plumbers outfit."

"He didn't, did he?" asked Kevin. He wasn't sure which answer he felt was better.

"He did not, thank you very much," said Mrs. Levin. "Do you understand why?"

"Not really," Kevin looked up at the ceiling.

Mrs. Levin reached over and gently took her son's head in her hand and made him face her. "Because a relationship is equal parts give and take. I know your father loved his life as a Plumber, even though I couldn't be part of it. So even though I worried constantly he was going to die on some alien planet, I never tried to stop him. It was important to him, and because it was important to him, it was important to me. In return, your father dressed himself up nicely once in a while, because I liked to see him at his best."

Mrs. Levin finished with the tie and then put it back on Kevin, straightening it with ease. "So, maybe you could do what Gwen would like once in a while, without complaining."

"Like wearing a tie?" said Kevin, drolly.

"Like wearing a tie like you love it," smiled Mrs. Levin. "If she has to force you, it's not the same."

"I dunno, she likes to force me to do things," commented Kevin.

"It's a gesture, Kevin." Mrs. Levin folded her hands behind her. "Find out the things she likes, and try and do them with her once in a while." She turned to leave the bathroom. "Assuming she matters to you."

Kevin frowned then looked at himself in the mirror. He considered his outfit. It was a monkey suit, not suitable to a badass like him. He felt awkward, like he was poking out all over the place from behind a sloppy disguise; like his messy hair and dusty boots and rough hands. How Gwen could want him to look like this he couldn't possibly fathom.

"Aren't you supposed to be picking Gwen up at seven?" Kevin's mom yelled from elsewhere in the house.

Kevin checked his watch. "Crap!"

**=== (X) ===**

Gwen Tennyson tapped her foot as she stared out the front window. She wasn't going to be upset, she told herself. Kevin is always late. It's normal. Nothing to be angry about. Nothing at all.

"Isn't it getting close to your reservations?" asked Gwen's mother, Lily asked as she came into the room.

"YES!" Gwen said, louder than she intended. She tensed up for a second, breathed, then calmly turned to face her mother. "Yes. But it's alright, I called ahead and told them we'd be late."

"That Kevin boy can't show up anywhere on time," said Lily.

"Mom, I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Are you he even cares about you?" Gwen's mother pressed on.

"He's put his life on the line for me more times than I can count," Gwen said. "He'd go to the moon and back for me without a ship if I needed him. I _know_ he cares."

"But not enough to use a watch."

"Mom..." Gwen warned.

"You're growing up, dear," said Lily. "Soon you won't be kids anymore."

"I'm not a kid as it is," said Gwen, testily.

Lily smiled warmly. "I know, you've had to grow up fast because of this alien business."

"I am an alien, mom," said Gwen. "Even without the Omnitrix falling from the sky I think I'd have had to deal with this by now."

"My point is, you're growing up and it's about time you look for someone who's willing to grow up too."

"Kevin is grown up! He's even older than me!" Gwen hated talking to her mom about Kevin, it always ended up like this. She hoped Kevin would show up soon so she could escape.

"He doesn't act like it," said Gwen's mom. "Never on time, always obsessed about his car, running his mouth off."

"It's a thing," said Gwen, uneasily. "His thing. A personality thing."

"And you like it?"

"Not all of it." Gwen sighed. "But I like _him_. I can't force him to radically change his personality for me."

"Honey," Lily reached out and put a hand gently on her shoulder. "It's your life, and regardless of what I think, you need to do what is right for you."

"Thanks for permission," grumbled Gwen.

Lily ignored the comment. "But consider this: just because you like someone doesn't mean you're mean to be together."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"That all the love in the world can't save a couple who annoy each other daily." Lily moved her hand to Gwen's face. "Believe me, dear. Your father wasn't the only person I fell for. And there will be others for you as well."

"I'm _not_ going to break up with Kevin," Gwen said. "And Kevin doesn't annoy me every day! He annoys _you_, and I'm sorry that is the case, but if you really want me to make my own decisions then _let me_, and stop trying to rig the game."

Lily stared at her daughter for a moment, then retracted her hand and stepped back, nodding. "I'm sorry. I just don't like seeing you unhappy."

"I'm not unhappy," said Gwen. "We're just late. It's not a big deal." She looked out the window again and finally, Kevin pulled up in his roadster. "And now we're not anymore." Gwen picked up her purse and headed for the door. "Don't wait up."

"Have fun, dear!" called Lily.

Gwen rolled her eyes as she walked through the door.

**=== (X) ===**

"She said _what?_" Kevin said. Then looked around at the people in the restaurant who turned their heads at his outburst. He blushed slightly. "Sorry."

"Keep it down," Gwen admonished.

"Why would she say that?" asked Kevin. "Were you complaining about me or something?"

"No!" Gwen shook her head quickly. "You were just late, and she... I don't know, used it as a platform for her debate."

"She hates me," Kevin concluded.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Gwen took a sip of her water and went back to poking her salad. She wasn't all that hungry for some reason, and she had the nagging feeling that 'reason' was her mother's sudden evangelism.

"I've seen how she looks at me," Kevin said. "She tolerates me at best."

"I shouldn't have brought it up, it doesn't matter what she thinks," said Gwen.

"You said she's actually complained about me before?"

"Seriously. Drop it." Gwen gave him a look that could wilt flowers. "What she thinks isn't important. She's my mother, and I love her, but she doesn't get to decide this for me. No way; no how."

Kevin sighed. "Sorry," he said.

They sat in silence for over a minute while Kevin looked uneasy and Gwen tried to eat more of her salad.

"You look nice tonight," said Kevin, cautiously.

"Nice of you to notice," snapped Gwen. Kevin frowned and looked away silently. Gwen noticed and began to feel the guilt pile up on her shoulders. It wasn't Kevin's fault her mother got on her case. Well, it was his fault for being late, but he couldn't have known what would happen. She was being a shrew because she was in a bad mood and she shouldn't be taking out on her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, Kevin," Gwen said in a much kinder tone. "This isn't your fault. Thank you for the compliment. You also look very handsome tonight."

"Really? I think I look like a stuffed doll in this suit," said Kevin. He pulled at his lapels experimentally.

"It's not that bad," smiled Gwen. "Maybe a haircut would help."

"I like my hair," said Kevin, defensively.

"You could style it," suggested Gwen.

"I'm not sure a jar of hair gel will make me feel _more_ comfortable."

Gwen shrugged. "Well, I think you look nice, anyway."

Kevin seemed like he was concentrating extremely hard for a moment. Then he said, "Good. That's why I did it."

Gwen smiled, then started to blush and she looked away slightly. Her mother knew nothing, she decided in that moment. "Uh, ahem. That's a nice tie. Is it new?"

"It's my father's actually. Mom found it in an old box of his stuff."

"You don't talk about him very much, apart from that Ragnarok business."

Kevin looked down at his untouched salad. "I don't have that many memories of him. Most of what I know I heard from mom or other Plumbers." He looked up at the ceiling and narrowed his eyes slightly. "If I try hard, I can remember one time being with him. It must have been days before he left to stop Ragnarok's sun drainer."

Kevin sighed and closed his eyes. "I have no idea what we were doing, but I can see him, smiling at me for something. Grinning almost, I think. He must have been very happy for something. I can't imagine what."

"Maybe he was happy about you," said Gwen.

"I was just a stupid kid at the time," Kevin shook his head and opened his eyes. "What is there to be happy about?"

"That you're alive? That you were his son. Thinking about what you might become." Gwen leaned her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. "Don't you think he'd be proud of you if he knew you now?"

Kevin frowned slightly. He said nothing.

A waiter showed up after a few minutes of silence and brought their dinners; and the conversation was forgotten.

**=== (X) ===**

An old sci-fi movie marathon was scheduled for that night on TV and Ben wasn't going to miss out. Julie certainly didn't mind. While she wasn't as much of a fan of movies with titles like The 10,000 Year Old Man, and Planet Of Hats, Attacks!, she didn't hate them, and she liked spending time with Ben.

Around the midway point of the third film - Robot Adonis From Space - Julie started to doze off and tipped against Ben's shoulder on the couch. Ben had been starting to get slightly sleepy himself but when he felt Julie's head resting on him he startled awake.

Ben looked down at her sleeping face. "You're missing the best part," he said softly. "The Robodonis totally wins the modeling contract and uses the money to build a space ship to go home."

Julie didn't stir, however, and Ben just smiled. She was possibly the cutest girl he'd known and he sometimes was baffled that she liked him too. Sure there were his endless legions of fans now that everyone knew he was a hero, but he suspected they didn't really like him for him, they liked him for the aliens he could turn into and kick ass.

Julie was different, though. She seemed to like him before she found out about his ability to go hero and took the revelation that there were aliens in the world pretty casually. Not many people were able to roll with those sorts of punches and that made her special in Ben's eyes. He wondered a few times if they'd end up together in the long run, but those thoughts always bothered him for one particular reason.

When he was ten, the same year he got the Omnitrix, on Grandpa Max's sixtieth birthday, he took a trip into the future. He got to see himself, and the world, twenty years into the future where he was a great hero with ten thousand aliens at his command. The kind of hero that people built statues of and cheered when he walked past.

But he was also alone. He had Gwen and Grandpa Max with him, at least after his younger self helped him straighten out his personal issues, but there was no one else. No pictures of future girlfriends or a wife. No pictures at all, really, in his tall skyscraper of a headquarters.

Was that his future? Destined to be alone and grumpy until the advice from a ten-year-old boy helps him realize that maybe people can share the weight of being a hero? It seemed so unlikely especially since he worked with Gwen and Kevin right now without any issues, and even Julie and the rest of the Plumbers have given him a hand. He didn't mind their help at all, and couldn't imagine what would make him change his mind.

But he did, didn't he? Or will? The whole future business was crazy complicated and he wished there was some way to straighten it all out. Could he avoid that future or was that impossible? Should he even avoid that future, given that, for all his personal problems, that Ben 10,000 clearly had made the world a safer place. If he turned away from that future, would he be dooming all those people in some way?

Ben sighed. The truth was that the Omnitrix, and now the Ultimatrix, placed a crushingly huge destiny on his shoulders. So huge, in fact, that it was impossible to think about it and remain sane. So, for the most part, he didn't. What was going on right now was very important, and he could get by without much trouble just thinking about today and nothing else.

But every now and then, he remembered exactly the size and shape of the brick wall he was heading towards at full speed, and it frightened him. And now he was worried just what that wall would do to Julie.

As much has he didn't want to admit it, he really couldn't ignore it much longer.

**=== (X) ===**

Kevin stared at the tablecloth on the table between him and Gwen. Their plates had been cleaned and they were waiting for the check. Conversation had been at most brief comments since their dinners began and now they were almost in silence. It was uneasy, and Kevin was sure how to break it, especially since he had the sinking feeling he had caused.

"Your dessert, sir?" a voice came from Kevin's right.

"I didn't order dessert," said Kevin, shaking his head. "You've got the wrong table."

"I'm sure at some point you'll order dessert again, let's just consider this an early delivery of that future order of dessert."

Kevin frowned and furrowed his brow. That was frankly bizarre. "What are you—" he trailed off as he saw who was standing next to him.

It was Paradox, the labcoat wearing mad scientist who claimed to have gone so mad he turned sane again. Kevin was always skeptical of the last bit of that statement. For instance, he was holding a slice of chocolate cake and eating it with a pair of chopsticks.

"Paradox," said Gwen, getting her voice back quicker than Kevin.

"Good evening, Ms. Tennyson," said Paradox. He placed the plate on the table and wiped his hands on the front of his labcoat. "Mr. Levin."

"Why are you here?" asked Kevin. He knew that a time traveler never just popped in to chat. He had to want something.

"Well, I just popped in to chat," said Paradox.

"No, seriously," said Gwen. "What's up?"

"I can't just visit?"

"No," said Kevin.

"Shucks," shrugged Paradox. He put the cake down and then slid his hands into the pockets of his labcoat. "I really just wanted to know if you two were having any problems, you know, that I might be able to help with."

"I've had my fill of time travel," said Gwen, shivering. "I've learned my lesson. Mess with the past and you get burned. You don't have to teach me twice."

"How about the future then?" said Paradox. "No worries about parallel worlds there. Or perhaps just viewing the past, getting to see something from a different angle? Not change anything, just look."

Paradox leaned slightly towards the table and looked at Kevin. "How about it?" he said. "Anything you might have wished you could see in the past?"

Kevin glared at him.

"Any_one_ perhaps?" added Paradox.

"This is a trap, isn't it?" said Kevin. He looked at Gwen. "It's a trap."

"Totally a trap," nodded Gwen.

Paradox straightened himself and frowned slightly. "Well! I can see I've done nothing to earn any respect from you two." He raised one hand and held it to the side like a tray. "That's okay, though, there are plenty of people who could benefit from my help and be grateful about it. No need to waste time with ungrateful children."

In an instant, he was gone.

"What's got that guy's panties in a bunch?" asked Kevin.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it's going to be trouble," said Gwen. "I've never seen him look angry before."

"He shouldn't be able to do much unless some fool takes him up on his Faustian bargain."

"'Faustian?'" said Gwen. "I'm impressed."

"Hey, I _read_," said Kevin, defensively. "A little bit."

"Anyway, I wouldn't be so sure someone won't take him up on his offer," said Gwen. "We know plenty of people who wouldn't hesitate to time travel if given the chance and ignore the consequences."

"Yeah, like Ben," said Kevin with a laugh.

"Yes, like Ben," agreed Gwen.

The two looked at each other. Then they reached for their cell phones.

**=== (X) ===**

Ben was finally starting to fall asleep himself and had tipped his head onto Julie's when the doorbell rang and startled him. In a foggy headed daze he jumped to his feet to look for the threat and brought his hand to his wrist.

Julie also sprung awake but since she had slightly different instincts than Ben she just rubbed her eyes and tried to look around. She quickly saw Ben going for the Ultimatrix and reached out towards him. "Ben! Wait!"

She had called too late, however, and Ben had already pressed his palm into the face of the Ultimatrix. In a dizzying blur of light and sound Ben had been replaced with a seven foot tall werewolf with bisected snout and glowing green eyes. Benwolf looked around and then looked at Julie.

"Oh, man," Benwolf said.

"Tried to warn you," said Julie.

Benwolf sighed then froze and sniffed the air. The doorbell rung a second time.

"Maybe I should get it," said Julie. "While you change back." She headed for the door. "Who could it possibly be this late at night?"

Benwolf didn't reply as he looked around and sniffed the air. "That smell," he said. "It's so much stronger now. I can almost remember..."

Julie briefly looked through the blinds. "I see the Rust Bucket, Ben. I think it's your grandpa you're smelling." She opened the door.

"Hi, Julie!" Grandpa Max's voice came from the doorway.

"Hiya, Max," said Julie.

Benwolf slowly crept up beside Julie. "It's not just Grandpa Max, it's someone else with him."

"Julie, I'd like you to meet one of my old Plumber friends," Benwolf heard his Grandpa say. "This is Wes Green."

"Hello," came Wes's voice.

"Hi," said Julie.

"And this is his daughter—"

"KAI!" Benwolf suddenly yelled. He leapt over Julie and then through the doorway, landing beside a surprised Wes and Kai Green.

"Woah!" said Kai. "Down, boy!"

Benwolf paused, then sat down next to the girl. He looked at her and was surprised. He had last seen her five years ago when she was still a little girl, but now she'd grown into a stunning woman. She was tall, thin, with dark, exotic features, and hair like midnight cascading down over her shoulders and down to the small of her back. She was wearing a low cut green blouse with jeans and had tattoos along her arms and on her exposed mid-drift.

She reached out and pet Benwolf on the top of his head then scratched him behind his ears. "Good boy," she said to him.

"BEN!" Julie voice called out from somewhere behind him, but at the moment, Benwolf wasn't listening.


	3. Chapter 2 Devil's Deal

**Plumber's Charm**

**A Ben 10 Fanfic**

**By Adam Leigh**

-(X)-

**Chapter 2 – Devil's Deal**

_July 8th, 2010_

_The Null Void_

-(X)-

Time did strange things in the Null Void, the extra-dimensional prison universe. Sometimes it moved normally, others it would move so fast that a lifetime on the outside could pass in the blink of an eye inside, and sometimes you could live whole years in the swirling storm of meteors and debris while only an hour passed on Earth. It wouldn't be so bad if all the Null Void changed pace at the same time, but it didn't. There were pockets of fast and slow moving time and if you weren't careful, a quick stroll could end up taking millennia.

Fortunately, you could predict where time would be moving normally. Close to the pillars, where the portals opened to the normal world, time typically moved at the same rate as the outside. The prisons were there, for those extra special criminals who warranted not just banishment to the Null Void but imprisonment while there. Most of the settlements were there as well, at least those that weren't inherently nomadic.

And, if you happened to be one of those 'lucky' few who were simply tossed into the Null Void without telling the Null Guardians you had been sent, you learned to stick around the portals too, because it was the only way you were going to escape.

Which meant it tended to get crowded.

"Buzz off, damn it," said Charmcaster, the silver haired sorceress. She was talking to an older man – which made it even creepier that he kept hanging around her – wearing a silver and black, slightly tattered Plumbers jumpsuit, and gray hair.

"We had a deal," said the former Plumber named Phil.

"And I'll uphold my part," Charmcaster said. She rolled her eyes and made a shooing motion with her hand. "As soon as I get through I'll open a portal for you. Now go to your position and watch my back!"

"It'll be easier for both of us if I just come with you," said Phil.

"It'll be easier for you to stab me in the back," snapped Charmcaster. "It'll be hard enough keeping the portal open for one person in this mana-dampened universe, two is impossible."

"You're worried about _me_ stabbing _you_ in the back?" asked Phil, incredulously. "What about you? I'm the one who has to trust _you_ to hold the door open until I get through."

"Yeah, you do. But, what reason do you have to believe that I won't?"

"Oh, I don't know," Phil shrugged dramatically. "How about the fact that you were sent to the _NULL VOID_?"

"By that logic I should be even more worried about you!" said Charmcaster.

"I can't get out without you. I have no reason to betray you!"

"But you would if you did."

"That is neither here nor there," Phil made a cutting motion with his hand. "I only care about getting back to Earth and getting my hands on Max Tennyson."

"And I only care about getting my revenge on Gwen Tennyson."

The two criminals looked at each other steadily.

"Right," said Phil.

"Right," Charmcaster nodded her head. She turned to look back at the area where the portals opened.

"So, we're good, then," said Phil, experimentally.

"Good," said Charmcaster curtly.

"Good," repeated Phil.

They both stared into the swirling storm that was the nearest 'Pillar' of the Null Void, the place where the barrier between the two universes was the weakest. They had no idea how long it would be until a new prisoner would be brought into the Void, but Phil knew at the rate they were gaining inmates it would happen about once a week.

"How long you been in here anyway?" asked Charmcaster.

"Six years," said Phil. "Two in the prison, four out here."

"I didn't know you Plumbers threw your own kind in here."

"We don't," Phil said angrily. "Max's grandson just decided to put me in here and then left me to rot. He wasn't even a Plumber himself. He had no authority to do it."

"I think things may have changed since then," said Chamcaster. "He certainly wears the badge now."

"The Omnitrix doesn't count," said Phil. "Damn Galvans, I don't know where they get off giving such a thing to a kid."

"Whatever," shrugged Charmcaster. "It's still better than where I come from."

"What do you mean?" asked Phil. "Where do you come from?"

"Ledgerdomain," said Charmcaster. "It's not in your universe, or this one."

"What's so terrible about Ledgerdomain?"

Charmcaster shook her head. "We're all taught to 'respect the mana' and 'cherish the mana' and never to 'disrupt anyone or anything's mana.' It's all garbage. Our whole species is mana sensitive and yet it's forbidden to actually use it. Only the followers Archamada think for themselves, and we're punished for it." She grit her teeth. "Severely."

"Punished? Wouldn't that 'affect your mana'?"

"They're all hypocrites," Charmcaster spat. "They preached love and respect for all of mana's creatures but once some big enemy shows up they can't beg for our help fast enough." She kicked around some stones at her feet and pushed one off the edge of the moderate sized rock they were standing on. "Then once it's all over, we're back to being hated. Only difference was, last time an enemy arose, he was so powerful nearly all of us were wiped out. So those that remained fled, left Ledgerdomain and came here. Well, not here, Earth." She looked at Phil angrily. "So you can see, even dealing with you lousy Plumbers is better than home."

"Sorry," said Phil. "I mean, for your people."

"It's ancient history," said Charmcaster. "I don't think about it anymore. I was never a citizen of Ledgerdomain, just a follower of Archamada. And that doesn't mean anything anymore 'cause they're all dead."

She looked away again and Phil looked down. He was surprised to hear just a young girl with a tragic story. It made his life seem easy, even considered the six years spent in this nightmare. He could sympathize with her anger, though. All he was trying to do is make a living and, of all people, his old partner and his grandson decided to banish him without trial. That wasn't justice. Hypocrisy wasn't limited to Ledgerdomain in his opinion.

"Look," said Charmcaster.

Phil looked up and saw a number of Void Guardians start circling the path between the Pillar and the prison. Something had got them excited.

"It's probably a new prisoner," said Phil. "Get ready."

"You don't have to tell me," said Charmcaster. She raised her hands and her fingertips started to glow. Phil could hear her quietly chanting so he backed off and raised his guns.

A moment later the swirling purple and white storm of a portal opened near the center of the Pillar and the Null Guardians started squawking as they circled. Phil raised his guns and aimed them at the nearest Guardians.

A flash of light came from the portal and a small space ship flew into the Null Void bearing the markings of a Plumber transport. The portal began to shrink behind it.

"Now!" Phil said.

"METRION!" yelled Charmcaster as her eyes glowed purple. The light form her hands arced out and stuck the portal's rim. The purple energy quickly swept around the edge of the portal and formed a vise-like brace around the swirl of energy, wedging it open.

The Null Guardians immediately turned towards Charmcaster and flew closer. Phil jumped higher onto the rock they were on and began firing at the Null Guardians. With each shot he knocked back a Guardian which ended up floating through the Void, dazed. Phil hadn't had success modifying his guns to kill Null Guardians, but he could definitely throw them for a loop, for a short while anyway.

"Go!" yelled Phil as he fired rapidly. "Get through and then get me out of here!"

Charmcaster didn't spare the time to reply. She carefully pushed herself off from the rock she was standing on towards the portal. She had to continue chanting and using all of her concentration just to keep the portal open and it was getting harder by the minute. She spent weeks building up her mana reserves using the piddling amounts of energy she had access to in this universe and if she screwed up now she probably wouldn't be able to take another shot at it for months.

Phil kept up his defense but he could see the meters on his guns start to fill. He could draw energy from the Null Void itself, he learned, but his guns couldn't fire forever or they would overheat and melt. Condensing the Void energy into superheated plasma had its side effects and with the scarcity of materials in the Void, he considered himself lucky enough that he had managed to make the guns.

"Hurry!" yelled Phil, all too aware that the Null Guardians he had shot earlier would start to come around soon and reinforcements from the prison were doubtlessly on their way.

Charmcaster continued her slow pace towards the portal but she could now see it slowly getting smaller again. Her spell simply wasn't strong enough to hold it open very long. She had moments at best.

Betting on her one chance to make it out, Charmcaster banished her spell that was wedging the portal open and put her remaining mana into flinging her self as fast as possible towards the narrowing opening. A purple explosion ignited behind her and shot her towards the rapidly shrinking portal. Just two or three seconds and she'd be home free.

A second passed. It would be tight, Charmcaster realized, but as she stretched her hands out in front of her, she believed it would make it.

Then tendrils wrapped themselves around her legs and grabbed her. Charmcaster screamed in surprise and anger as she felt the swarm of Null Guardians dive on her. The tendrils flung out quickly and tried to grab at many places on her body. She kicked her legs and flung her arms around to keep them at bay but all they needed to do was delay her for a second to win.

The portal snapped shut with a quiet 'puff' and vanished in a flash. Charmcaster closed her eyes in futility as the Null Guardians dragged her away.

-(X)-

_July 9th, 2010_

_Bellwood, CA_

Ben woke with a start and looked around quickly. He couldn't remember going to sleep last night, and vaguely remembered something alarming happening. Typically when that combination of feelings occurred it meant he'd been attacked and he'd have to start looking for ways of getting out of his handcuffs or shackles, or breaking out of a jail.

Instead, though, all saw around him was his room, just as it should be. He looked down at his clothes and noted he was still dressed, sans jacket, which probably wasn't a good sign even if he was at home. Either he passed out or fell asleep somewhere else and had been carried.

Jumping out of bed, Ben checked his appearance quickly in the mirror. He ran his hand though his hair to flatten out the slightly fussed appearance, and then headed for the door. He opened it and had to grab the doorframe to keep from running head first into the girl on the other side.

"Ack, Ben!" squawked Gwen as she took a step back.

"Sorry, Gwen," said Ben. "I was just... wait. What are you doing here? Isn't it early?"

"Grandpa Max wanted us all here for breakfast," said Gwen. "I was just coming to make sure you were awake." She looked at him briefly. "What, did you sleep in your clothes?"

Ben bit his lip and looked around uneasily. "I'm not entirely sure. Were you here last night?"

"Briefly," said Gwen. He raised an eyebrow. "Long enough to see your act with Kai."

"Kai?" asked Ben. That triggered a memory in him, and it wasn't nearly as old as he expected. "Kai Green. She... she was here last night, wasn't she?" He started to pale. Some of last night was starting to come back to him, and the more he remembered, the less he wanted to.

"She's still here," said Gwen. "She slept in the guest room."

"I ... did something stupid last night, didn't I?" asked Ben. It was times like this that he actually hated the Omnitrix... or Ultimatrix. Whichever.

"It depends. Did you want to see Julie ever again?"

Ben groaned and put his hand to his forehead. "Bad?"

"Nuclear, I'd say," said Gwen. She shrugged. "But I've seen worse, too. Do you have an explanation prepared?"

"I don't even know what happened!" Ben looked at the Ultimatrix on his wrist and experimentally turned the dial. It flitted through several of his alien forms. He stopped when it showed Benwolf. "I swear that wasn't even an option until last week."

"Julie explained... well, no. She didn't explain. She sort of ranted indiscriminately when Kevin and I were taking her home about you not being able to turn into anyone but Benwolf recently." Gwen put her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"I thought it was a thing!" Ben gestured towards his wrist. "You know, an Ultimatrix thing. It does something wacky on almost a weekly basis. Eventually it stops, or I figure out why it was doing it."

"How's that plan working out for you?"

"Not great." Ben sighed again and hunched.

Gwen patted him on the back. "Come on, let's have some breakfast and talk about it, then later we can figure out what to do about your two beaus."

"Two? I thought Kai wasn't interested in me?"

"She doesn't seem to mind Benwolf," said Gwen. She made a face suddenly like she was holding back a cough. "Uh, anyway, what does it matter what Kai thinks about you? You like Julie, right?"

"Right," said Ben with a firm nod. He would admit – only to himself - to a little... ambiguity as to exactly how he felt about Julie, but he was absolutely no two-timer. Julie certainly had stuck with him through enough battles to deserve better than that.

The two walked down the hall towards the stairs and started to descend.

"What are they doing here, anyway?" asked Ben. "Wes and Kai."

"Grandpa said they had some business in the area and stopped by to visit. It has something to do with the Painted Rock oil drilling controversy."

"The what?" asked Ben.

"Don't you watch the news?" asked Gwen.

"I make the news, Gwen," said Ben. "Why would I need to watch it?" He grinned.

"Well, you could watch the coverage about the Painted Rock controversy, for instance. And then have any idea what's going on with Grandpa's old friends." Gwen gave him a smug look.

Ben stared at her like she was an alien... which she was, but not like that.

"The Arlea Company acquired oil drilling rights to the Carrizo Plain and they decided to use them to look for oil," explained Gwen. "The Yokuts people filed an injunction, which became a class action lawsuit when all the Native American tribes in California sued for the right to protect significant archeological sites from corporate interests. It's supposed to go to the Supreme Court soon."

"Why are Wes and Kai here, though?" asked Ben. "Didn't they live in New Mexico?"

"Wes is apparently a significant figure among the Navajo, he's representing their interests in the press."

"So, it's a touchy-feely eco-greeny thing that involves all Indians in the area," summarized Ben.

Gwen's mouth hung open. "Do you _try_ to be offensive, or is that, like, a natural state for you?"

"It takes practice," said Ben.

"Well, tone it down. I imagine both Wes and Kai might be offended if you called them 'Indians'," said Gwen.

"I know. You know I can be professional."

"Maybe," said Gwen. Then she muttered, "You weren't very professional last night though."

"What did I _do_?" asked Ben, loudly.

They walked into the kitchen at that moment and Grandpa Max looked up from the stove. "Good morning, Ben! Feeling any better?"

"Better than what?" asked Ben, unsettled.

"Never mind," said Max.

"Good morning, Ben," came a quiet voice. Ben turned to see Kai and her father Wes at the table drinking coffee. Kai had a kind smile on her face and a slight blush but otherwise seemed very reserved, barely moving in her seat as she regarded Ben.

"Good morning," said Ben, more tiredly than he intended. "How is... everyone, this morning?"

Kevin appeared from the direction of the living room and slapped Ben hard on the shoulder. "Just waiting for the fun to begin," he said. He was grinning widely. It was very unnerving. He headed towards the table and sat down next to Wes.

"Juice?" asked Gwen as she headed to the fridge.

"Sure," said Ben. He sat down next to Kevin and across from Kai. The latter turned her head slightly to the side when he did, making Ben feel even worse. "What fun?"

Max emptied his skillet onto a large serving platter and brought it over to the table. "Wes and I have been talking and it sounds like there might be trouble that you kids can help us on."

Ben silently thanked the heavens for providing a distraction from the events of last night. "What's the problem?"

"A number of our oldest, sacred ceremony grounds have been disturbed," explained Wes. "Stones upturned, art destroyed, and the grounds torn up. Lots of digging."

"We thought it was kids coming onto the reservation," continued Kai. "Playing pranks and that sort of thing. Then we found an entire hogan overturned. Pulled straight up out of the ground and turned on its side with much of the surrounding clay with it." She shook her head. "No kids did that."

"That's when I started searching for another answer," said Wes. He reached into his vest and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He flattened it on the table beside the platter of eggs. "Then I found this."

Ben, Gwen, and Kevin leaned in and looked at the paper. It looked like a rubbing of something. It was circular, about a foot and a half in diameter, with a series of 'V' shaped lines coming from opposing sides and crossing in the middle where a six pointed star was. Ben noticed it bore some resemblance to the symbol on the Ultimatrix.

"What is it?" asked Gwen.

"It's a landing impression," said Wes. "Cartesian."

"What does geometry have to do with it?" asked Kevin. Ben looked at him. "What? I went to school. Sorta."

"The Cartesians were a species of very strange but brilliant aliens who lived on the opposite end of the galaxy from here," said Wes. "They were largely mythical until about four hundred years ago when it was discovered that they were the progenitor race for about a dozen different alien worlds in the northwest quadrant of the galaxy."

"So, no longer a legend then?" asked Gwen.

"Unfortunately, no," said Max. "Nobody has seen a true Cartesian in centuries, but the descendant species all began adopting cultural traditions derived from Cartesian archeology and myth. They all have their own take on their ancestors, but this," Max pointed to the circle. "This is pretty common. It's like a crest and it adorned much of architecture on the presumed Cartesian homeworld."

"If it's on a small personal transport craft like what probably landed in New Mexico, it limits the possibilities to three," said Wes. "Galvan, Thermian, or Chamatronian."

"Galvan?" asked Ben. "Azmuth's people are descendants of these Cartesians?"

"It's believed to be the case," said Max. "Though a ring this size probably wouldn't belong to a Galvan, unless it was a whole army of them."

"Doesn't make sense they'd be defiling cultural markers either," said Gwen. "Well, I guess, unless it was Albedo. We haven't seen him since Vilgax."

"The problem is we don't really know why they're being attacked," said Kai, getting back into the conversation. "Whoever or whatever it is that is doing this is slowly moving West, which is why we're here now. We tracked it across New Mexico and into Arizona and suspect it's coming here."

"Which is why you're part of the Painted Rock lawsuit," Gwen said, putting it together. "You think that's the next target."

"It's not the _only_ reason," said Kai, sounding a little irritated. "But yes, given the path, its age and size, Painted Rock is highly likely to be one of its next targets."

"I still don't get why this guy is trashing old landmarks," said Kevin, rubbing his chin. "It doesn't make sense. What's the angle? Revenge? Is he looking for something? Does he just hate Native Americans? How do we know whatever it is hasn't found what he's looking for?"

Wes shrugged. "I admit my knowledge of alien affairs is a little out of date, but I can't imagine why a Thermian or a Galvan would have a grievance with us."

"Well, I could think of a few bad eggs among those people," said Max, gruffly. "But most are in the Null Void or otherwise... indisposed."

Max and Wes shared a guilty look for a second that Ben nearly missed. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Anyway, so if we know where he's heading, we just need to stake out the place and wait for him to arrive, right?" Kevin folded his arms. "Piece of cake."

"Not quite," said Kai. "There's a protest going on around Painted Rock as a result of the media frenzy. Round the clock there are people there now and news crews."

"Well, it's not like we have to keep things secret much," said Ben. "Everyone knows there are aliens and that I'm one of the good guys."

"Except it's supposed to be a surprise that we're waiting for the guy," said Kevin. "If the press is all over you there's no way we'll get the drop on the alien."

"Okay, so low key," said Ben. "I can do low key."

"It means disguise," said Gwen. "Right?"

"We think it's the best way," said Max. "Either as a protester or as a cameraman with the media."

"Protester seems fine," said Ben. "I can get all dressed up like a Sequoian."

Gwen put her hand to her head and sighed loudly.

"Sequoyah was a person, not a tribe," said Kai kindly. "He was Cherokee."

"Unless you mean a redwood tree," said Gwen. "I'm sure we can work with that."

Kevin patted Ben on the back again. "Let's see about getting you a camera."

Ben slumped in his chair. He couldn't catch a break this week. "All right."

-(X)-

_The Null Void_

Charmcaster tried her best to comb her hair with just her fingers while she sat in her cell in a Null Void prison. Those Guardians really did a number on her and she was only now starting to feel normal again after being tossed in over an hour ago. Her hair was all knots and her fingers weren't cutting it. She muttered a simple spell under her breath but nothing happened.

"Stupid mana dampeners," she cursed.

"Yeah, it's going to take more than that to get out of here," said Phil, sitting opposite her within the cell. They had been tossed in together after the fight, which was surprising to Phil, who would have expected co-conspirators to be separated. But a quick glance around the other prison cells reminded him that the population in Null Void had spiked over the last two years. They might not have had two cells available.

"I'm not trying to escape," said Charmcaster. "I'm just trying to fix my damn hair!"

Phil shook his head and leaned back against the stone wall. There were two bunks hanging from the walls on opposite sides of the room. He was sitting on one, Charmcaster the other. He'd been stripped of his guns and most of the tech he'd acquired since coming to the Null Void.

"I spent two years in here before escaping," said Phil. "And I'd been on the other side of these bars plenty of times before that. This place isn't easy to bust out of."

"We wouldn't HAVE to bust out of here if you'd kept those Guardians out of my... out of my _hair_ like you were supposed to!" yelled Charmcaster.

"Oh, don't go blaming this on me, little miss witch," said Phil. "I did my part as best I could, but they sent a damn phalanx of those little buggers at us. Nobody could have kept up. You should have been quicker."

"I worked as fast as I could!"

"Clearly not fast enough!"

Charmcaster folded her arms and turned away from Phil. Phil did likewise and they sat alone in silence for several minutes. Eventually Charmcaster idly began trying to pull the knots out of her hair again.

"How long until you can build up enough mana to cast real spells again?" asked Phil, trying to sound disinterested.

"Who knows," said Charmcaster. "It'd be nice if they throw an Anodite in here, though."

"Wouldn't count on it," said Phil. "They can traverse the Null Void on their own, even the mana dampeners don't have much of an effect. It'd serve no purpose."

"Hrm," grumbled Charmcaster. She stopped with her hair and looked over her shoulder at Phil. "How do you guys keep Anodites contained?"

"Temporarily? Really expensive mana dampeners and null nets." Phil leaned back on the bunk and put his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. "But the energy requirements are astronomical. We turn them over to Anodite prisons in most cases." Phil smiled slightly. "At least the ones that we don't seduce."

"Ew." Charmcaster made a face. "I don't need to hear your fantasies, Plumber."

"Oh, that wasn't me," said Phil. He turned his head towards Charmcaster. "How do you think your little nemesis ended up part-Anodite anyway?"

"The grandfather?" asked Charmcaster. "Really?"

"He wasn't always that way. He used to be quite dashing. At least, according to most people." Phil shook his head. "I have my vices, but making kissy-face with squids is not one of them. Max on the other hand..."

"Interesting," said Charmcaster. She pondered that thought for a few moments. "But, irrelevant now. The granddaughter is what interests me."

Phil raised an eyebrow. "And here you just said 'Ew' to making kissy-face with aliens."

"Not. In. That. Way." Charmcaster glared at Phil then looked away again.

"Still, neither of us is going to be doing much of anything until we get out of here," said Phil. "There is no parole board, in case you're wondering. Reform is not really a concept the Plumbers have taken strongly to."

"I'm not waiting around to serve out my time," Charmcaster said flippantly. "I just need to form a good plan."

"Perhaps I could help there."

Charmcaster jumped at the sudden new voice and Phil didn't react much cooler. They both stood to see a man standing by the bars of their cell in a long white labcoat. He was human, as far as they could tell, with short black hair, probably in his early forties. He was checking a pocket watch as they saw him.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Charmcaster.

"Professor Paradox," said the man. He closed the watch and pushed it into a pocket. He pulled out a paper bag from another pocket and held it between the bars to the prisoners. "Gumball?"

"N-no," said Phil. "Where did you come from?"

"That's a very long story," said Paradox. "Much longer than you have days remaining in your lives."

"Summarize for us," said Charmcaster. She eyed the stranger wearily. Smug humans were becoming a trend in her life.

"Very well," said Paradox. "I'm an immortal time walker who goes around looking for things to do to stave off the endless boredom. Mostly I fix broken things." The man hesitated and looked up and to the side. "Hmm, that could actually be the premise to a good TV show."

"Broken things?" asked Phil.

"Yes, indeed," nodded Paradox. He put the bag of gumballs back in his coat. "Missteps in the timeline, people out of the universe they're supposed to be in, divergent realities getting mixed up or inadvertently created, putting right what once went wrong. That sort of thing."

"You... you're here for me?" asked Charmcaster. Her look went from one of skepticism to that of worry.

"Yes, dear," said Paradox. "But not for the reason you presume. Fate is a tricky marble. It's hard to say where it going to roll just by looking at the path it's on. Rest assured; this universe is your home now. I won't be taking you back to Ledgerdomain anytime soon."

"Then... what?" asked Phil. "Here to bust us out of jail?"

"If that is what you want," said Paradox. He casually opened the door to the cell as if it had never been locked. "But I actually had much more grandiose intentions for you."

"I don't care for other people's 'intentions'," said Charmcaster.

"Even those of your uncle?" asked Paradox.

Charmcaster paused, unsure of how to respond to that.

"If it involves me getting out of the Null Void, then I'm on board for whatever you want," said Phil. "Just drop me off on Earth when we're done and we have a deal."

Paradox stepped into the cell and looked sternly at Phil. "Be careful what you say," he said. "I have the tendency to hold people to their word."

Phil swallowed but didn't retreat. "I want out of here. I've wanted it for six years. I'll murder my own mother if it means I can escape this hell."

"Very well," said Paradox. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Though I doubt I'll need to take you up on your offer of matricide." Before Phil could respond he turned to Charmcaster. "How about you, my dear?"

"What was that about my Uncle?" she asked.

"Merely an example," said Paradox. "You were hardly older than seven when Hex took you from Ledgerdomain, surely you knew why."

"I would have died," said Charmcaster. "Adwaita had already killed most of us, and the _normals_ would have finished the job."

"Hmm, yes, 'the normals' indeed," said Paradox. "But why save you, over your cousins or even Hex's own sister?"

"I had cousins?" asked Charmcaster. She was seriously confused, caught between knowledge of a life she'd left behind years ago and the inherent skepticism she regarded this strange man.

"Of course you did," said Paradox. "But that's neither here nor there. The point is Hex saved you because you had the _talent_, more so than any of your relatives. More so than Hex himself."

"So, I'm good at magic. Uncle is too." Charmcaster crossed her arms. "That twit Tennyson is _apparently_ even better."

"Gwen has her Anodite heritage to fall upon, but when it comes to arcane magic she's not as good as you," said Paradox. "Which is why you were taken away from Ledgerdomain to here where he could train you the way he wanted you to be trained. Ultimately, it was indeed for your own good, but you couldn't have known that at the time." He stepped back and held the lapels of his labcoat. "Sometimes you just have to trust in the plans of someone older and wiser than you."

Charmcaster frowned. The man was so casual, so calm, that it was hard to doubt the things he said. He treated this knowledge like it was so commonplace that Charmcaster had to be a fool not to already know it, and yet, how many people knew anything about Ledgerdomain in this universe? Or knew of her upbringing with Uncle Hex?

"What do you want?" asked Charmcaster. "And what's in it for me."

"Freedom is in it for you," said Paradox. "I can't honestly offer you more than what you already have."

"I can get out of here on my own eventually," said Charmcaster. "I don't need you for that."

"You can get out of this cell, perhaps," said Paradox. "But I didn't say I'd free you from the Null Void. I said 'freedom.'"

"What does that mean?" asked Charmcaster.

"It's different for every person," said Paradox.

"Will you _please_ answer a _damn_ question straight for once?" yelled Charmcaster.

Paradox smirked. "You have no idea how difficult that is."

Charmcaster shook with fury.

"Very well," said Paradox. "You are bound, knowingly or unknowingly by forces beyond your control. Some of it is magic, some of it is the unyielding shackles of fate. By the end of our journey, you will be free from these chains and you will be welcome to decide your own destiny. Whether that is here, in this cell, out there in the world, or back in Ledgerdomain. You will be truly and completely free from all bonds save one: those with which we bind ourselves." He put a finger to his head and tapped once.

The young magic user closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She considered the stranger's offer and wondered exactly what mess this would lead to, and whether she could trust the man at all. On the other hand, she considered her solitary condition were she to decline and the effort it would take to build up her magic again. At least the stranger seemed to be implying they were leaving the Null Void. Once there she could regain her magic and make short work of this Paradox if necessary.

Yes, she could just as easily screw over this Paradox fellow if she needed to.

"Okay, time lord," said Charmcaster. "I'm in."

"Time walker," corrected Paradox.

"Whatever." Charmcaster shrugged, then tugged on her hair again. "Can you at least—"

Paradox held out a hair brush.

"THANK you," said Charmcaster as she snatched the brush and began using it.

"So, who's the target," said Phil. He put his hands on his hips.

"Target?" asked Paradox.

"I'm assuming you want us to deal with someone," said Phil. "I'm sure you could have found much more favorable allies if you weren't looking for folks who... blur the line a bit."

"A clever deduction," said Paradox. "But, to the contrary, what I need help with is something only a Plumber and a spellcaster can accomplish. There are no substitutes."

"Lucky you we happened to be in the same place," said Phil.

"Yes," said Paradox suspiciously. "_Luck_."

"So, what's the deal?"

"I need you to help me stop someone from carrying out their plans," said Paradox.

"See? I told you there was a target," said Phil to Charmcaster.

"Who?" asked Charmcaster.

"Me," said Paradox. And with a nod, the three of them vanished.

-(X)-

_July 11th, 1869_

_Lincoln, Nebraska_

Mariana Tennyson ducked behind a shed and winced as much of the roof the structure was blown off by her enemy's shots. She swung her arm quickly around the side and fired off six shots from her plasma gun. The bold green bolts flew through the air by the scaled man on the other side of the field simply shrugged them off.

Mariana retreated back behind cover and swallowed hard. "Okay, plasma's no longer working."

A green and black disk hanging from the side of Mariana's belt flashed twice. "I'm coming around from the east, Mari. I'll try the phased compression cannon."

"Still plasma, Artie," said Mari. She looked around for more cover, since she was sure the alien was going to obliterate the shed soon. She spied a short fence leading to a stone embankment by the road.

"Different kind of plasma," replied Artie over the badge. "Worked on that goop alien last fall."

"And this is hardly the same alien."

"You just let me know when you have a better idea, chief," Artie said before signing off. Mari crouched and placed a foot against the shed to launch from. She peeked around the edge and nearly got her hair burned off. She launched immediately after the attack ended, sprinting as fast as she could.

"You Plumbers are such good target practice," laughed the alien as it aimed at Mari.

"Hey, you're not so bad yourself!" Artie, a tall, broad shouldered man in a gray and black modified army suit with heavy padding on the chest and arms stepped out from grove of trees towards the east of the alien. He was carrying a very large gun that looked as though it would crush a smaller man. The barrel of the gun began to glow white.

"What's this toy?" asked the scaled alien as he turned halfway towards Artie.

The barrel suddenly flashed yellow and the cannon fired. The beam of light was huge, at least half a foot in diameter, and surged forth instantaneously striking the alien in the chest and flinging him far into the air.

When the beam ceased the alien fell from the sky trailing a cloud of black smoke against the evening sky, finally landing in small pond one residence over.

Artie looked, opened mouthed, at the result and then smiled down at his cannon. His smile faded when he saw the large crack leading down the barrel.

"Are you nuts!" yelled Mari as she ran towards Artie. "Standing out in the open like that? What if it didn't work? He would have turned you into a pile of ash!"

"Gotta take chances if you want to win big, chief," said Artie with a smile. He tossed the cannon to the ground. With the damage on the barrel it wouldn't be useful again for quite a while. "Your brother taught me that."

"My brother is TEN," said Mari. "He does not have the experience to be giving you - a plumber - advice on how to do your job!"

Artie shrugged. "And I'm sure your plan of running out in the open and getting shot by Brozz was a stroke of genius. If I didn't do what I did, you'd have been long gone."

Mari shook her head and began marching towards where Brozz fell. "I swear, when we get back to Altair VI you are going to spend six weeks in the Pyronite Endurance Chamber."

Artie sighed as he followed his chief. "Do we have to go so soon?" he asked. "I feel like we only come back home to chase renegades and for you to do your concubine thing with General Grant."

"_President_ Grant," said Mari. "And I'm not his _concubine_. He's supporting the Plumbers Readiness Act and I need to discuss the details with him from time to time. He promises to have a base set up in every state."

"Doesn't explain why you dress like a..." Artie hesitated and then uneasily continued. "Harlot."

Mari snapped a glare at him briefly but kept walking. "The President wants to keep knowledge of the Plumbers secret, so we need to create a cover story for our meetings."

"I'm sure there are better ones," said Artie. He sighed. "Something more respectable. Appropriate for someone of your... authority."

"I don't care," said Mari. "If people think I'm a harlot, that's fine. It doesn't affect what we do."

"I care," muttered Artie under his breath.

The two came up to the pond and saw Brozz floating face down in the pond. Artie pulled up on his boots and went to the edge of the water. "I'll get him out."

"Don't waste your time," said Mari. "He doesn't need to breathe air, we can leave him like that for a little while. Get the transport so we can pack him up for shipping."

"No need, Tennyson."

Mari and Artie looked up to see a series of silver and black ships descending in the area and a passenger platform descending to them. The platform had five plumbers on it in addition to Commodore Ion.

"Sir," nodded Mari as the platform landed. She moved to salute but Ion waved her off.

"No need for that," he said and did that strange thing with his mouth that Mari assumed was a smile. He stepped down from the platform and leaned on his silver cane. "We'll clean up the mess."

"I didn't know you were in the air," said Mari. "I would have let you had some of the fun."

"We caught him moving through Vega," said Ion. He pointed with his cane at Brozz. "Gathered up everyone I could and made a bee line to Earth. It seems he still beat us here. It's a good thing you were in the area."

"I was having my bi-annual visit with Grant," said Mari. "Just a coincidence."

"Which seem to always work out in your favor," said Ion.

"Mine, sir?" asked Mari.

"Humanity," clarified Ion. He stepped past Mari and stood at the edge of the pond to regard Brozz. "I first stepped foot on this world forty years ago and was stunned to watch a human best a Chamatronian."

"My grandfather," said Mari.

"That's right," nodded Ion. "And now, years later, I'm still impressed by what you've managed to do with only level 2 tech."

"If you'd authorize an upgrade—" started Mari.

"You know that decision doesn't rest with me," he said, a little angrily. "Believe me, I trust you Tennysons to the ends of the galaxy. But I'm not in charge of the Plumber's council. At least, not yet."

"Our 'level 2 tech' didn't even stun him," said Artie. He pointed a thumb at Brozz. "He's getting stronger, and you're not getting any better at keeping him jailed."

"Arthur!" snapped Mari.

"It's alright, Tennyson," said Ion. He looked at Artie briefly. "You're right. He is getting stronger, and it's exactly because of that we've had trouble keeping him suspended. The Galvans, however, are working on a solution right now that might be better suited to his sort of ability."

"Why does he keep coming here?" asked Artie. "What is this? Three times already?"

Ion pointed toward Mari. "Her grandfather, I'm afraid." Ion sighed and shifted his weight away from his bad leg. "Brozz here holds a pretty big grudge against Wilbur Tennyson and humanity in general. He feels he was humiliated by being captured here and wishes no more than to destroy your planet and everyone on it. Just for spite."

"That's awful," said Artie.

"That's why we're trying to keep him contained," said Ion. "And why I'm sympathetic to your anger. I wish we could do more. Until we can, however, his return will always be a possibility. The Galvans are the smartest in the galaxy, descended from the Cartesians. If there's a solution, they'll think of it."

"Brozz is descended from the Cartesians too," said Mari. She watched as the Plumbers in Ion's escort used suspended force guns to lift Brozz out of the pond and towards their prison ship. "He acts like a brute, but I would be surprised if he hasn't got a brain in there."

Ion shook his head. "I wouldn't be so charitable. He's a beast. A vaguely civilized beast." He turned to Mari and reached out a hand. "Again, I'm sorry. We'll try to do better this time."

Mari hesitantly shook his hand. "You don't have to apologize, sir. We all owe you for our existence anyway."

Ion smiled once more. "That's not how it works in the Plumbers and you know it. You hang around your General friend too much."

"President," corrected Mari.

"Of course," said Ion. He turned and headed back to the platform. A few moments later it started to lift and the ships in the sky began to ascend. Mari and Artie watched for a moment then headed back to where they had landed their transport.

Not too far away, from the roof of a nearby house, Paradox, Charmcaster, and Phil watched on.

"Nope," said Paradox. "We're too early."

They vanished without another word.

-(X)-


	4. Chapter 3 Reparations and Preparations

**Plumber's Charm**

**A Ben 10 Fanfic**

**By Adam Leigh**

**Chapter 3 – Reparations and Preparations**

_July 9, 2010_

_Bellwood, CA_

**-(X)-**

Ben stood outside of Julie's house and knocked again.

"Julie?" he called out. He'd tried the doorbell, but there had been no response. There were no cars in the driveway, which at least meant her parents were out, but he wanted to be sure before leaving. "Are you in there?"

Ben waited for at least a minute more before stepping down off the porch. At nearly the same moment, the door finally opened.

Ben spun on his foot and looked to see Julie sticking her head through the opening of the door, glaring. He felt his blood go cold and had to concentrate on not shivering.

"What do you what?" asked Julie.

Ben had come up with lots of excuses for ... whatever he'd done last night, but on his way to his car Gwen stopped him, held him in the air with her magic, and forced him to swear to only tell Julie the truth. Of course, since Gwen wasn't here, there's no way she could know, but Ben was starting to learn better than to tempt fate like that. Besides, Gwen sometimes manifested strange new powers due to their Anodite heritage, and for all he knew she _was_ watching.

"I honestly have no idea what happened last night after I changed into Benwolf," said Ben, quickly. He took a breath to stop himself from speaking too fast. "You know this has happened to me before and I can't control it."

Julie looked even angrier for a moment. Her lips turned deeply down and grooves formed on her forehead as if she was struggling to keep her skin on her skull. Ben shifted his weight in preparation to flee in case something came flying at him.

Then, suddenly, she closed her eyes and the scowl faded. "Come in," she said, drolly. She turned and walked back into her house leaving the door open.

Ben wasn't sure what happened but followed her inside.

Julie's house was smaller than Ben's, but much more stylishly decorated. Julie's father was an interior designer and often ended up with leftovers from contract work that he would bring home and decorate a bedroom or bathroom with. The simple ranch on the outside belied the hardwood floors and intricate crown molding in the inside.

Julie sat down on the living room couch and looked at Ben. In return, he moved over to sit on the couch as well, cautiously keeping a little distance between them.

"Nobody will tell me what happened," said Ben. "I don't even know what I should be sorry for."

"You had a thing for her, didn't you?" Julie said right out.

"Her? Kai?" asked Ben. He nodded slowly. "Just a crush, when I first met her over five years ago. I thought she was cute."

"And now?" asked Julie with a brow.

"And now... she's older?" said Ben.

Julie sighed and it seemed some of the tension in her body faded. She leaned back on the couch. "Ben, I wish I could be ..." she trailed off and bit her lip.

"She was never interested in me," said Ben, hoping to explain. "She liked Benwolf, but only because she wanted him as a pet. Like a collie."

Julie laughed briefly and Ben finally felt like he wasn't going to die in this house.

"Well, like a collie would probably be how I would describe how you were acting last night," said Julie. She looked at Ben with a small smile. "You never seem to be that trained for me."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable saying I've been trained at all," said Ben.

"Of course not," said Julie, with just a hint of ire. "That alien of yours hasn't gotten over its crush though."

"He shouldn't remember," said Ben. "I mean, it's not like the aliens are paused when they're in the Ultimatrix. Their DNA stream goes back to Primus. It's just a copy anyway. I think."

"You think?" asked Julie.

"I'm not sure exactly how that Big Chill thing happened or what went on with Ghostfreak if the DNA Codon stream from Primus is just a copy," said Ben. "I would think there's no way for an alien form to remember anything from the prior times I used it."

"Would seem to be a question for Azmuth," said Julie. "Who you were going to talk to about the Ultimatrix anyway."

Ben shook his head and looked at Julie. "I'm sorry," he said, suddenly like he needed to say so.

"It's okay," said Julie. "You can't control it." She muttered something beneath her breath then continued. "The bigger problem is if you need to use the Ultimatrix again. Will you turn into Benwolf?"

"I'm not sure," said Ben. "I have no idea what will happen next time, especially since Kai will be around."

"Why would Kai be around?" asked Julie. She frowned slightly.

"Grandpa Max asked us to go with her to Painted Rock," said Ben. "There's a good chance an alien is going to show up there to trash the place."

"And you're going? Even though you can't rely on the Ultimatrix right now?"

"I can't just ignore an alien attack," said Ben. "If I have to I'll fight it myself, but I'm not just going to wait around."

Julie looked at Ben and then sat up. She reached out and touched Ben's cheek softly. "I like you, Ben," she said. There was a slight pink flush on her cheeks. "Even when you're being an idiot, you're better than all the boys I've ever met."

"Idiot?" said Ben, offended.

"I'm coming with you."

Ben's mouth hung open for a second. "N-no, if something goes wrong with the Ultimatrix—"

"Ben." Julie's soft touch grew firmer until she was holding his jaw in her fingers. "You're going on a road trip with Kai and you can't control yourself around her when you're in alien mode." She looked him directly in the eyes. "I'm coming with you."

Ben swallowed. "Okay," he said.

Julie patted him on the head. "Good boy," she said. Then leaned in closer and kissed him quickly on the nose before letting go. "Besides, I have Ship. He'll keep me safe."

**-(X)-**

Gwen packed her things into the trunk of Kevin's car and closed it firmly. She turned back to watch Kai and Wes moving their things around the Rustbucket – Grandpa Max's old RV – while Grandpa himself was doing something in the driver's seat.

Gwen was concerned about Kai and Ben, for a multitude of reasons. She knew a little something about old crushes, and worried that Ben might sacrifice something meaningful and real to chase a dream. That could present a number of problems in the future, but they really all paled to the problem with the Ultimatrix.

She and Kevin could hold their own in a fight but the truth was, after a year or so, they'd gotten used to fighting as a team. A largely uncoordinated team, but a team nonetheless. Ben's contributions to their fights were meaningful. But if he was going to go all dog-in-heat around Kai every time he transformed into an alien, they were going to have trouble fighting whatever it was they were after.

Which brought up another issue altogether.

"Hey," said Kevin as he came around the back of the car. He had been doing something under the hood, as usual. Gwen only had the barest idea of what Kevin did half the time when he was fiddling with his Mustang Special. Cars weren't really her thing. For all she knew he was adding concealed guns or changing the oil.

"Finished?" asked Gwen, turning to face her boyfriend.

"Yeah, we should be set," said Kevin. "As ready as we'll be for a completely unknown enemy."

"That worries me," said Gwen, putting a hand to her chin. "We've never run into a Chamatronian or a Thermian before and Grandpa Max doesn't seem to be very forthcoming with the details about them."

"Chamatronians are urban legends," said Kevin. "Like the boogie man. I'd bet on the Thermian, whatever those are, though I can't imagine why any alien would want old Native American burial grounds," said Kevin.

"They're heritage sites," said Gwen. "You've heard of Chamatronians before?"

"A little bit," said Kevin. "Some of tech dealers I've worked with have been superstitious. They were always worried that one of their customers would turn out to be a Chamatronian. Apparently they're disguise artists or mimics, only scarier."

"Scarier?" asked Gwen.

"I'm not sure why," said Kevin. "I mean, Osmosians are mimics too, but nobody seems to go around terrified your drinking buddy might be an Osmosian." He contemplated that. "Probably should though."

"That doesn't tell us what could be at these grounds that the alien wants. I would think that if there was something powerful in these sites that Wes would know about it, but he's been tight lipped."

"Too many questions," Kevin shook his head. "Never a good sign. Why do I get the feeling that although we're _planning_ the ambush, we're the ones who are going to _be_ ambushed?"

"You're not alone," said Gwen.

"Maybe you can wrestle some information out of his granddaughter," said Kevin. "Or maybe Ben can." He grinned.

"We didn't leave on good terms five years ago," said Gwen. "And I think we should keep Ben as far from her as possible."

"Hey, she came to us for help," said Kevin. "She's gotta be willing to tell us something." He puffed up his chest a bit. "I can give it shot if you want."

"You're... going to rely on your charm?" asked Gwen, skeptically.

"Hey, I'm smooth."

Gwen stared.

"Sorta." Kevin crossed his arms. "Hey, it worked on you."

Gwen frowned.

"Okay, I'm going to stop talking to you now, and start talking to Kai," said Kevin. He turned before he could see any expression on Gwen's face and headed over to the Rustbucket.

Gwen sighed and went back inside to grab her jacket.

**-(X)-**

"Hey," said Kevin to Kai as the latter was coming out of the Rustbucket.

"Hi," said Kai. "Kevin, right?"

"Yeah," smiled Kevin. "I wanted to talk to you for a second about this alien thing."

"Okay," Kai said cautiously. She leaned against the RV and put one heel up against the tire. "Shoot."

"Well, uh..." Kevin hesitated, having neglected to fully plan out his conversation in advance. "It just seems to me that maybe there's more to what's going on than your Grandfather and Gwen's Grandfather are saying. And I was... you know... wondering if you might... uh... agree?" He winced.

"Grandpa doesn't really tell me much about his Plumber days," said Kai. "I'm probably as much in the dark about this as you are."

"Hrm," said Kevin. He probably wouldn't learn much from her and would have to go to Max now. "Did your parents know about the Plumbers?" He was a little curious about how other Plumbers' families dealt with the secret. Kevin's father had told his mother, and from what Gwen said, her parents knew about Verdona.

"They probably did, but I don't know," said Kai. "I haven't seen them in a long time."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I never really knew them. They left Earth when I was just two."

"Left... Earth? They were aliens?" Kevin was surprised. There was no outward sign of it at all in Kai. Though, to be fair, there was little sign in Kevin himself when he wasn't using his power.

"Mom was," said Kai. "My father was Grandpa Wes' son, so he was human. " She frowned. "I think anyway. Grandpa doesn't talk about it much either."

"You're a half-alien," said Kevin. "Like me."

"You?" asked Kai. "What are you?"

"Half Osmosian," said Kevin.

"Osmosian?"

"I can absorb energy and matter and use it to protect myself or turn it into weapons. What about you?"

"Uh..." Kai hedged.

"Lemme guess, your Grandpa hasn't told you."

Kai shook her head. "He's very reluctant to speak anything about Plumbers or aliens or anything to do with my parents. I think he's upset with them for leaving me with him."

Kevin's eyes widened.

"Uh, not that he doesn't like having me around," said Kai quickly. "He's always been kind, but I think he thinks his son abandoned me, and is upset about it."

"Wow," said Kevin. "I used to think my family was strange." He looked Kai over again. "So, got any strange powers or anything?"

Kai shook her head. "No, not hat I ever noticed. I'm really good with animals, but so are a lot of completely normal humans."

"Ben and Gwen's parents are like that," said Kevin. "They're part Anodite, but none of them ever showed it. Only Gwen."

Kai looked past Kevin over at Gwen, who seemed to be trying to watch their conversation without looking like she was watching their conversation. As Kai stared, Gwen quickly opened the door of Kevin's car and started playing in the glove box.

"She doesn't look very different," said Kai. "I don't remember anything strange about her five years ago."

"It's subtle," Kevin said. "She's capable of turning into energy if she wants, but she doesn't like it."

"I see, I guess," said Kai. She frowned. "Wait, you can absorb energy. And your girlfriend is a being made of energy."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Kinky," Kai grinned.

Kevin blushed heavily and then coughed. "Um, so you don't know anything about what might be hidden under those ceremonial sites?"

Kai shrugged, but continued to grin. "Remains of our ancestors? Old talons and things like that? Nothing that Grandpa has ever spent more than a moment talking about."

"All right. It was worth a try." Kevin turned to head back to his car.

"What about Max?" asked Kai. Kevin turned slightly back. "Grandpa told me that Max spent a lot more time in the Plumbers than he did. He had partners both before and after him."

"I'm not sure Max ever left the Plumbers," said Kevin. "He says the Earth Plumbers were disbanded after Vilgax was defeated the first time, but I don't buy it. My father wasn't that old, for one thing, but he still worked with Max in the Plumbers." He shook his head. "I think the old man took it underground, but never lost touch with the rest of the organization."

"Then he's probably the one who knows what's really going on," said Kai.

"Good luck getting it out of him," said Kevin. He started to head back to his car.

"Hey, wait," Kai called out. "Have you seen Ben anywhere?"

"Why?" asked Kevin, a little more defensively than he intended.

"I... just wanted to talk to him," said Kai. "Now that he's... you know, upright."

"And not a wolf," added Kevin.

"Yeah," Kai said quietly.

Kevin turned away again. "He's off reconciling with his _girlfriend_. I'd give him space until he's ready."

"Oh. Okay," he heard Kai say in a dejected manner. He didn't look back. He didn't want to sympathize, but it was hard to look on a sad girl and do nothing about it.

He wondered if he was becoming a pushover.

Gwen was sitting in the passenger seat staring into the side view mirror when Kevin reached her. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Gwen leaned out the window and looked up at Kevin. "What were you blushing about?"

Kevin stiffened. "Nothing." He pulled at the neck of his shirt slightly. "Kai doesn't know anything. Apparently Wes is as quiet on the matter as Max has been. She suggested we try to get more out of Max, but that's like getting blood from a stone."

Gwen narrowed her eyes but leaned back into her seat again. "Then away in the unknown we go."

Kevin shrugged. "No different than usual. Although I think I have an idea of how to get more information. We can check it out on the way."

**-(X)-**

When Ben and Julie showed up back at Ben's house, everyone had finished packing and were standing around waiting to go. Ben ran inside briefly to gather a few things leaving Julie on her own.

"I'm coming," she informed Gwen.

"Figured you might be," replied Gwen with a smile. "Gotta keep a handle on these boys." She looked briefly over her shoulder at Kevin who was currently talking with Max about improvements to the RV's armaments.

"Tell me about it," said Julie. She looked over at Kai who was reading a book on the porch of the house. She had dusky skin and long black hair, wearing cutoff jeans and a red tank top. One leg was bent up with her foot on the porch so that her book could rest on her knee. The other leg was extended out casually displaying her ankle tattoos just above her sneakers. She almost looked to be basking in the sun. "She is kind of stunning. You don't think—"

"No," Gwen said firmly. Julie looked back at her. "You know Ben better than she ever will. Don't let it get to you."

"But, Benwolf—"

"Silliness with the Ultimatrix," Gwen cut her off again. "Besides, she hasn't expressed any interest in him since she arrived. It was all the alien." She smiled and put her hand reassuringly on Julie's shoulder. "If she ever does make a move on him, though, I'll help you tear her limb from limb."

Julie smiled and looked down. She nodded slowly. "Thanks."

"It's okay," said Gwen. "You're a lot cooler than her anyway."

Julie looked back at Kai. "I don't have any slutty tattoos, though."

"They're probably tribal," laughed Gwen. "So I don't imagine they're supposed to be 'slutty.' But I get the idea. We can always get you some of your own if you want."

Julie looked back at Gwen with wide eyes. "I don't think I could ever... "

Gwen patted her on the back. "Come on. Let's get Ship and your stuff into Kevin's car."

**-(X)-**

_July 9th, 2010_

_Interstate 5, California_

Kevin followed the Rustbucket on the highway as they headed towards the Carrizo Plain. Gwen was beside him with Ben and Julie in the back seat. The dashboard monitor was up showing a video of young boy with light brown hair and dark brown eyes.

"Painted Rock?" asked Jimmy Jones over the video chat.

"Its part of Carrizo Plain," said Ben from the back seat. "Apparently it's significant to the Native Americans."

Jimmy shrugged. "Well, the Omnipedia says it's a rock formation where several Native American tribes left their marks in the form of pictographs and signatures. Even some carvings into the stone by western explorers all the way up to the mid-twentieth century. Chumash, Salinan, Yokut... there's a long list."

"What about alien influence?" asked Kevin. "Something that somebody would come to Earth to find or get?"

"Hmmm," mused Jimmy. He tapped at his keyboard rapidly which was just below the view of the camera. "I haven't found any alien activity in the Carrizo Plain before. Not very much in the rumors and legends areas either, beyond your typical ghostly stuff."

"What ghostly stuff?" asked Gwen.

"Well, it's a Native American heritage site, so there's lots of stories about the ancestors of the natives coming to life around campfires to talk about the future." Jimmy shook his head. "But that's normal in any area with historical importance like this one. There are stories like that about the Grand Canyon."

"Anything else?" asked Ben. "It's a giant horseshoe shaped rock. Maybe somebody created it?"

"The omnipedia says the whole area used to be beneath a shallow lake," said Jimmy. "About twenty million years ago. It's not an unusual shape if you think about it being underwater and run over by waves for millions of years."

"That's pretty clever, Jimmy," said Julie.

Jimmy blushed. "It's just what it says on the site..." he trailed off.

"Great, so we still have no idea why this alien has been trashing ceremony sites," said Kevin.

"Painted Rock is just the next place on his path," said Gwen. "It's possible what he's looking for is somewhere else."

"Wait," said Jimmy. "Are you guys chasing the alien that landed in New Mexico last week?"

"You know about it?" asked Ben.

"Of course, Mr. Tennyson!" said Jimmy, smiling widely. "A lanky blue alien starts thrashing public places and you think I wouldn't?"

"What do you know?" asked Gwen. "Do you have a picture?"

"Better," said Jimmy. He looked down for a second then clicked something with his mouse. The screen changed to show a dark, fragment video of a circle of rocks being thrown about by a shadowy figure.

"Is this the guy?" asked Kevin. "He doesn't look so terrifying."

"It's hard to tell, but I used some image processing software I downloaded off the internet to clean it up a bit," said Jimmy.

The image changed slightly and now was slightly brighter but also somewhat faded. The outline of the figure could easily be seen but very little detail made it onto the video. The alien was clearly thin, tall, and had long arms it was using to dig up rocks and then throw them to the side. After a few moments it started digging into the ground throwing up huge clumps of dirt as it burrowed.

"How did you get this video?" said Gwen. "Were you there?"

"Oh, no," said Jimmy. "Someone there at the time had an iPhone. They just took a video."

The alien on the video continued to throw dirt everywhere.

"Okay, he's going to give up soon," said Jimmy. "Watch, you'll get a brief look at him."

The alien was hip deep in the ground when it growled loudly and thumped the earth four times. It then climbed up out of the hole, turned its hands into fists, and looked up into the sky. A bright light suddenly flashed from the alien and it rocketed into the sky a split second later.

"Woah, wait, I didn't see it," said Ben.

"I'll back it up for you, Mr. Tennyson," said Jimmy.

The video froze and rewound up until the flash of light, then stepped back frame by frame until just as the flash was starting. The upper half of alien was clearly lit up for just one frame before he took off. The alien looked tall, with blue, shiny skin, and large yellow eyes. He had a black stripe around his neck and that ran down his body bisecting it.

"What is that?" asked Julie.

"It's a Lumerian," said Kevin, with a frown.

"So, not a Chamatronian or a Thermian?" asked Ben.

"No, they're largely bureaucrats from a planet called Lemmox," said Kevin. "I've seen a number of them in the G. P. as well as in a few united governments. Pencil pushers, but they've got this ability to turn into walking shadows at will. Great at night, not so great during the day."

"Why is this one digging holes on Earth?" asked Gwen.

"Dunno," said Kevin. "It's certainly not typical."

"At least we know what to look for," said Ben.

"Yeah, a walking shadow," said Julie. "At night."

"I didn't say it would be _easy_," said Ben.

**-(X)-**

_March 16, 1923_

_Black Hills, South Dakota_

Linus Tennyson gripped his phased disrupter pistol tightly and breathed. He wasn't sure what was going on, but the alien that landed nearby had seemed out for him from the moment it emerged from the small transport ship. He pressed his back against the trees and peeked around.

The Back Hills mountains were covered in trees and quite tall, making them both a good and a poor place to mount a defense. Good because, since he was on higher ground – probably, by his reckoning, on Rushmore, though it was hard to tell since all the mountains looked the same here – but bad because the dense trees made it hard to see an enemy approaching from the sky, which this one clearly could.

Listening to the deafening quiet, Linus decided to risk calling his partner. He tapped his Plumber's badge once. "Werner," he whispered.

"_Ja_, Tennyson," came Werner's accented voice. There was a lot of prejudice these days against those of Bavarian descent after the end of the Great War, but Werner and Linus went back for years. He never had any reason to distrust him because of his heritage. Besides, he was only half German, he was also half Osmosian. "I thought you might have bit it back there in the crash."

"Same here," said Linus. "How about you? I didn't see where the crane landed. Are you alright?"

"No worse for wear, _mein freund_," said Werner. "I am below you. Perhaps one hundred meters."

"Can you see him?" asked Linus. "The alien?"

"_Ne_. He jumped into the canopy a few minutes ago and I lost track."

"I think he's after me," said Linus. "Not sure why."

"Probably just hates Plumbers," said Werner said.

"We need a new uniform," Linus sighed.

The sound of branches breaking to the east caught his attention and he lowered his voice. "I think he's near, I'm going to head further up."

"Be careful!"

Linus pocketed his Plumber's badge and moved swiftly between the trees, keeping his gun at the ready. He was nervous at how much damage this alien has soaked up without missing a beat. Their tech level was atrociously low compared to the swiftly approaching 'Green Line' – as the Plumbers called it – the ever expanding common fly area in the major arm of the inhabited part of the galaxy. Aliens were going to start showing up more and more in the coming years and they were going to be much better equipped.

He sighed and moved further up the wooded mountain. Fortunately the Black Hills were fairly easy to traverse and he didn't have to put his gun down often to get a footing. He hoped the even ground would allow Werner to catch up quickly while the alien was flying atop the canopy.

"TENNYSON!" came a roar and Linus blindly jumped to the left. He nicked a tree with the side of his leg but avoided the crashing alien that surely would have ended his life. Without a thought, he brought his weapon to bear and fired. The orange glow of the beam lanced out and struck the alien in the upper chest but did nothing but momentarily throw his balance.

Linus let got of the trigger and then flicked a switch on the barrel of the gun as he lowered it. "That's not fair," he said. "You know me but I know nothing of you. Were you at that mixer last week and I forgot?"

"You'll suffer the sins of your ancestors a hundred fold!" said the alien. He was a hulking figure, Linus now saw. Tall, broad chested, with scaly skin and black eyes that peered at him directly through the shadows. He was no species that Linus had ever encountered before, but one that he _had_ seen a picture of.

"Brozz?" ventured Linus, hoping he was wrong.

The alien roared and charged in a blur at Linus. He could only move a foot or two before the impact but it was enough to only get clipped by the alien and get thrown to the side. The tree that Linus was standing in front of was uprooted and splintered at the force of the charge.

Pain arced across Linus' body as he recognized the feeling of a dislocated shoulder. He didn't have time or tools to set it now so he used his good arm and pushed himself off the ground. Wincing in agony, he launched himself down the mountain, rushing between the trees to put some distance between him and his attacker.

It made little difference as the sounds of falling trees quickly reached him. Linus jumped again to the side when he saw the broken branches of the canopy falling in his peripheral vision. The alien rushed past, barely missing him.

"I'm guessing that's a yes," called Linus. He needed to find some other way of distracting the alien. He knew from his father and grandfather of the danger of Brozz and the likelihood of his return. But the equipment they built to fight him was back at his headquarters in Nevada. There was nothing all the way out here on Mount Rushmore. He needed help, and Werner wasn't going to be enough.

Linus pressed his palm on his pocket where his badge was resting. He heard the click of the beacon activate as he held it down, hoping someone was monitoring the emergency code.

"Listen, I know you're a little angry at my family, but, I think we can work it out in a civil, agreeable, convers— UGH!" Linus was struck from out of nowhere and flung up into the air. His back struck a tree and he felt bones somewhere in his body snap as he fell towards the ground. His face was lacerated by small branches and twigs as he fell, finally slamming against the earth hard, knocking the wind out of him.

Linus gasped as he heard heavy footfalls approach him. His vision blurred as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Your pitiful species deserves nothing but oblivion," growled Brozz. "Your only redeemable value is your disgustingly good luck, but even that has finally run out."

Linus finally took a deep breath in but it burned in his throat. He coughed repeatedly, each one feeling like nails in his chest. Some of his ribs had clearly been broken and he tasted copper in his mouth. Somewhere he was bleeding internally.

"You are like fleas to me," said Brozz.

Linus rose his head and looked angrily at Brozz. He could feel blood trickling out the side of his mouth. "So what... does that make you... Gulliver? Toppled by fleas not just once... but seven times."

Brozz grabbed Linus' throat and lifted him into the air. Once again, Linus couldn't breathe and he clawed at Brozz' scaly hands to free himself.

"_Six_ times," said Brozz. "But this is my victory game."

"Count—" struggled Linus. His neck felt light it was going to snap at any moment. "Again."

"Oh, I have," said Brozz. "For a hundred years I have awaited this day, to feel your life ebb through my fingers. I have made no mistake!"

"You did forget about me, _fraulein_," said Werner as ran out from behind a tree. He quickly stretched his hands out and pressed them into Brozz's back. His hands glowed brightly and the glow quickly grew into the alien's back.

Brozz dropped Linus in surprise. Air rushed back into Linus' lungs once more causing him to cough loudly and painfully. He raises his blurry eyes to watch the scene unfolding beside him.

Werner was grinning widely as he kept his hands on Brozz. The larger alien was surprised at Werner's actions but soon a deliberate stoicism overtook him and he reached out slowly to put his own hands on the Plumber's shoulders.

Werner's smile quickly faded and his face became pained.

"Never met one of my kind before, have you Osmosian?" said Brozz.

Werner grunted as he winced in pain. Linus couldn't see Brozz do anything but look at him but it was clear Werner was being assaulted by an unseen force.

Brozz laughed suddenly then Werner began to scream in horror.

"Let him go, Werner!" yelled Linus.

"Yes, let me go, flea," Brozz wryly echoed.

The glow from Werner's hands was flickering and now Linus could see a strange fading of his partner's complexion, as if he was turning gray. His cheeks became sunken and his eyes blackened into dark shadows.

"STOP IT!" Linus screamed out. Something had gone horribly wrong and now Linus looked to be dying. Brozz's periodic laughter only made it clearer that the alien was in charge of the absorption.

Werner's scream went silent but his mouth continued to hang open. His body began to sag and the light flickered out entirely. A few seconds later he dropped like dead weight to the forest floor.

Brozz licked his lips.

"I still count six," he said to Linus.

Linus closed his eyes and put his face down into the dirt. With as little movement as possible, his good hand snaked into his pocket and touched the Plumber's badge. He twisted the housing of the device slowly and deliberately.

"Giving up already?" asked Brozz. "I want to hear more agony from your lips. How else can I pain you? Is there someone else? Another partner? A family? Have any children?"

The click of the Plumber's badge going into self-destruct was practically silent. Linus picked up his head again and scowled at Brozz.

"I have a son," said Linus. "But you'll never touch a hair on his body."

"I beg to differ," said Brozz. He knelt down and leaned over Linus' body. His hand reached out and grabbed the collar of the Plumber's uniform, lifting him off the ground. "Because I doubt he fell far from the tree. For generations you Tennyson's have been Plumbers, and I'm sure I just need to run down every badge on the planet to be sure I've wiped your disgusting family out."

"We'll stop you," said Linus. "We always do."

"It doesn't matter," said Brozz. "Because when I'm done, I'll destroy this planet. I'll reach into the core of your Earth and crush it with my palm. Your Plumber friends won't be able to stop me. Nobody can stop me. Because there's never been a weapon strong enough to kill me."

"Maybe not," said Linus. He gripped the badge in his pocket. "But history shows you can be slowed down." He pulled the badge out and slapped it against Brozz's neck. "Destruct code, Delta Omega One!"

In a flash, the badge exploded and Linus welcomed oblivion.

**-(X)-**

Atop a small outcropping in the steppes of Mount Rushmore, Paradox watched the dozen or so Plumbers running around . He was quietly standing with his hands in his pockets, chewing on a gumball.

Charmcaster and Phil were beside him with somewhat more perplexed looks on their faces. A glowing pink visor was on Charmcaster's face, giving her a closer view of the proceedings below while Phil was using a slightly more mundane pair of binoculars.

Three Plumber ships had landed in the area by the explosion, which joined the two Plumbers already on the ground.

One of the two that had arrived first was a younger man with dark hair and green eyes. His face had been a mask of conflicting emotions since he arrived but the appearance of the three Plumber ships brought the anger in his eyes to the fore.

When a tall, purple walking crystalline petrosapien approached, the young man exploded.

"How many more times is this going to happen?" the young man yelled. "Werner is a skeleton and... and... and there isn't enough of my father left to _fill a soup can_!" He gestured around at the smoking crater with Brozz lying in the center and the large hole blown into the side of Mount Rushmore.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Jeffrey Tennyson," said the purple crystalline Plumber. "But as your father knew, we have done our best to contain Brozz for many years. His escape from the Null Void was an unfortunate mistake."

"A _mistake_?" said Jeffery. "Is that all you have to say, Commodore Metrod? Sorry, we made an _oopsie_ and once again your planet was threatened by one of the worst murderers in the galaxy?"

"The Earthian Plumbers exist to contain and neutralize threats to this planet," said Metrod. "We can't treat you differently just because of Brozz. And he is far from the worst we've dealt with. The Detrovites for example-"

"I. Don't. Care." Jeffery pointed at Brozz again. "He has ONE routine, ONE goal. He breaks out, he comes here. There's no mystery to it! The moment he got out of your stupid Galvan prison you should have sent a _fleet_ here!"

"We are not the GP," said Metrod. "We don't have a fleet that can be easily assembled. We brought who we could, but there is a limit to our manpower. Your father knew that. He understood the threat from Brozz and he was supposed to have prepared for it. I cannot say why his preparations didn't work."

"Probably because he had NO HEADS UP from you!"

"That is enough, Tennyson," snapped Metrod. "The Chairman of the Plumber Central Command has a soft spot for this planet and that is the only reason we supply a planet - that isn't even within the Green Line - technology to fight immigrant species."

"Tech level _two_ technology," muttered Jeffrey.

"_Enough_! You are unique in this regard only. We have other matters that require much more constant supervision. We cannot spend our time and resources protecting a planet that has no significance other than Chairman Ion _likes it_."

Metrod turned to a thin, red skinned, four armed female tetramand beside him and nodded. "Clean up this mess and have Brozz sent back to the Null Void."

The tetramand nodded. "Yes, sir," she said.

"Since Linus is dead, and Jeffrey here clearly lacks the authoritative experience—"

"_What_?" said Jeffrey.

"—assign a curator for this planet. Whoever is on the top list for new assignments."

"Wait a minute—"

"That will be all," Metrod said abruptly and turned towards the ship that he came in.

"You can't do that!" yelled Jeffrey. "This _our_ planet!"

"He can," said the tetramand while she was writing something on a tablet with two of her hands and operating a communication device with a third. "The Commodore has full authority over this arm of the galaxy."

"That's garbage," said Jeffrey, crossing his arms. "Ion was a much better Commodore."

The tetramand stopped what she was doing and looked at Jeffrey, narrowing her four eyes. "If you wish to eventually be the point of contact on this planet, you would do well to learn to respect your superiors."

"He's a superior horse's ass."

The tetramand sighed and tapped on her tablet. "Listen, I'll do you a favor here, because the Chairman does indeed have great respect for Earth." She handed her tablet to Jeffrey. "This is Xylene."

"An Uxorite?" asked Jeffrey.

"Very good," nodded tetramand. "She's young, smart, and terribly hot headed. She's not the top of the list, but close enough to appease Metrod."

"Why do I want a hothead in charge of Earth?" asked Jeffrey, angrily.

"So you have someone to prove yourself more restrained than," said the tetramand.

Jeffrey blinked and looked at the tetramand. "I'm –"

"Going to need to grow up now," interrupted the tetramand. "You can grieve, for your loss is significant, but after that you need to prove yourself every bit the Plumber your father was. Plan for the worst, and you'll always be ready."

Jeffrey looked down and then slowly handed the tablet back to the tetramand. "Thank you," he said.

The tetramand padded Jeffrey on the back and then turned to follow Metrod back to the shuttle.

The young Plumber stood there silently while Brozz was lifted and taken back into a separate shuttle and soon the entourage of ships was sailing off into the sky.

Jeffrey turned and looked at the crater in the side of Mount Rushmore once the plumbers were gone. He made a fist and held it so tight his palms began to bleed. "Never again," he said darkly.

He turned and walked back into the woods and out of view from the trio standing on the ledge of the mountain. Paradox shook his head and consulted his pocket watch. "Still too early."

"I don't get it, why are we on this history of the Tennyson family ride and can we skip to the part where I blow things up?" asked Charmcaster. She waved her hand and the purple visor vanished from her face.

"I had no idea the Tennysons went this far back," said Phil. "I thought Max was the first to join the Plumbers."

Paradox looked between the two for a moment, then settled on Phil. "There is a break in the line of Tennysons in the Plumbers, which we are rapidly coming up to."

He turned to Charmcaster next. "I have miscalculated my arrival several times now, which is why we are seeing this. Time-space is clearly disturbed by what is happening in your present, and it affects my ability to transport you with precision. Tracing history forward is the easiest way to find the disturbance point."

"What disturbance point?" asked Charmcaster. "You STILL haven't explained to us what we're doing!"

"You'll see shortly," said Paradox, closing his watch. "Or you won't, and it will be too late."

With a flash, the three vanished again.

**-(X)-**


	5. Chapter 4 Recursion

**Chapter 4 – Recursion**

- (X) -

_July 9th, 2010_

_Painted Rock at the Carrizo Plain National Monument  
San Luis Obispo County, California_

"Walter, I am standing here before what has become a massive protest by hundreds if not thousands of Californians, Nevadans, Arizonians, and, especially Native Americans from several tribes."

The young, blonde reporter gestured behind her at the many people gathered around a tall, forty-foot tall stone outcropping in the middle of a largely flat plain. She shined her white teeth and blinked her blue eyes in scripted pride. "They have gathered here from all around to stand against the Arlea Company, who intends to drill heavily in this area looking for large oil deposits scientists now believe lie buried here near to the San Andreas Fault. The drilling, the protesters claim, will damage the area irrevocably including the heritage site of Painted Rock."

The reporter turned to the side to let the cameraman get a wide view of the scene while keeping her just within frame. "Painted Rock has been a ceremony site for many Native American tribes going back hundreds of years but has suffered significant damage in the modern era due to explorers and vandals alike. Only a handful of years ago did the site come under the protection of the US Government, who has heavily regulated visitors to the location ever since. Tonight, however, they'll have a hard time getting these protesters to leave, as they've set in deep and are ready to bear tonight's cold snap with blankets, sleeping bags, and tents."

- (X) -

Ben stepped between crowds by the rock with Gwen, Julie, and Kevin following closely behind. They were dressed up in what they believed a camera crew would wear: plain clothes with lots of pockets and equipment hung from their belts. Kai had made some comment about Batman's utility belt, but Ben ignored it. He'd seen a lot of reporters and camera crews since news of his heroic activities went public, and he was well aware that fashion was not always the top priority when chasing a story.

The large camera in his hands was the only real thing he needed to sell the costume to any other reporters.

The crowd, however, was not quite as easy to deal with.

"Ooh, interview me! Interview me!"

"Is this going on TV? This needs to go on TV!"

"You need to tell the man he has to find his black death elsewhere because he _can't_ get it here!"

"Yeah! Yeah! My people died for this land! Some company can't take it away!"

"That's not what's going on here, moron! Besides, you're Dutch-Irish!"

"My _spirit_ is Okonkwan."

"That's not a Native American tribe! That's a character from a novel!"

"Is not!"

Ben sighed and slipped away from the crowd, pushing his way towards the edge of the rock. Kevin, Gwen, and Julie managed to squeeze through to join him after a minute.

"This isn't a protest, it's a concert," said Kevin. "I think I saw a mosh pit over there."

Julie had her hands on her hips as she looked over the crowd. "If they were trying to get people's attention, though, they've done a good job. I counted eleven other news trucks."

"Which just means it'll never calm down here," said Gwen. "Chances are that lumerian is not going to wait for the place to clear out."

"Which means these people are in danger," said Ben with a serious face. "We have to convince them to leave."

"Pfft," said Kevin. "Good luck with that one. It'd be like trying to reason with an ant farm."

"We have to do something," said Ben.

"How about we try to get to this alien before they get here," suggested Julie. "We know what direction he's coming from."

"Generally, we do," said Gwen. "But if he was coming straight here he should have gotten here first, so there's no telling what path the alien took or when he's planning on attacking."

"Or even what he's looking for," said Kevin, shaking his head. "We've already got Pierce in the space station looking for signs of the alien, but our sensors aren't that great, and Lumerians have absorption abilities that make them hard to find with active scanners."

"Whatever it is he wants, it's got to be under Painted Rock," said Ben.

"Not necessarily," said Gwen. "He clearly looked in several places before heading this way, this could be just another dead end."

"We have to make some assumptions or we won't be able to plan," said Kevin, irritated.

"If we plan on false assumptions, then we'd be worse off if we did nothing and just waited," said Gwen.

"That's all it looks like we'll be able to do unless we get some new information!" said Kevin.

"Then that's all we _should_ do!"

Kevin and Gwen crossed their arms and stared at each other. Julie looked uncomfortably to the side.

"I have an idea," Ben said. "Assuming that's okay with you two."

Kevin rolled his eyes. Gwen nodded.

"I'll go intangible with Big Chill and just look to see if there's anything under this rock."

Kevin stared. "That's..."

"Not a bad idea, actually," finished Gwen.

"Don't you wan to avoid attracting attention?" asked Julie. "Transforming out here is probably not a good idea."

Ben grinned. "I'll be discrete."

Julie watched him raise his hand over the Ultimatrix. "Do you even know what that word means?"

"Just keep an eye out," said Ben. He twisted the dial seven clicks to the left and slapped it hard.

The rush of change swept over him and he felt his body twist and deform to take on the new state as defined by the codon stream received by the Ultimatrix. His arms and legs lengthened, his chest broadened, his eyes grew larger and angular, his nose stretched out into a long snout, he grew long hair over all of his—

"Oh, crap," said Benwolf.

- (X) -

Wes lay on a ridge on the Carrizo Plain and looked over his shoulder at the distant lights around Painted Rock. He tilted his head slightly and then frowned. "Something just happened," he said. "Suddenly got louder."

"Probably Ben," said Max as he stared through binoculars in the opposite direction of the ceremony site. "He has the tendency to cause a fuss."

"So much for disguises," said Wes.

"It's his way," chuckled Max. He looked up from the binoculars. "He does a good job on much less than the Air Force training I had before getting into the Plumbers."

"Better than the legendary Max Tennyson?"

Max smiled. "Almost assuredly." He looked back through the binoculars. "He tries to rely on me more than I think he should, but he never needs to. I think he just humors his old grandfather."

"Don't sell yourself short, I still hear your name on the grapevine," said Wes. He raised his own binoculars and looked through them. He stared in a direction slightly to the left of Max's. "I understand you're the reason for the recent reform in the Null Void."

"Maybe," said Max. "I just made the best of a bad situation, really. Those DNAliens turned out to be trickier than I expected. Must be getting slow in my old age."

Wes just continued to shake his head. How his old friend could put himself down so persistently given his accomplishments was a mystery to him. Wes wasn't there for the fall of Vilgax – at least the first time – so he didn't get to see 'Max's Moment' as the Plumbers called it. But he'd heard about it. Heard how Max banished the squid-face to dark space. Heard how he miraculously did so with no time and with no surprise. Heard about the high body count.

Max was never the same after that. His retreat from Plumber matters afterwards was the most obvious sign, but Wes noticed his melancholy too. His bravado had faded, which for Max was nearly as legendary as his accomplishments. Wes hesitated to say he was broken afterwards, but he had certainly altered his life outlook, enough that he abandoned most of what he'd done in his life up to that point and decided to focus on his mundane family.

At least, everyone thought they were mundane until the stories of _Ben_ Tennyson arose.

"Following in your footsteps, is he?" asked Wes in a calculating move.

"I hope not," said Max. "Though he could do with a few less lady friends."

Wes laughed.

"Incoming!" Max suddenly shouted. Wes snapped his head up and scanned the horizon with his binoculars. "Ten o'clock!" Max added. Wes turned slightly to the right and saw him.

The creature was just a shadow at this point, the fading light of day was not enough to fully light his feature, but he was leaping miles at a time, closing on their position fast. Wes noted the figures silhouette against the sky as he jumped and blinked.

"Kevin's right," Wes said. "He does look Lumerian."

"Never heard of a Lumerian bruiser before," said Max. He lowered his binoculars and pulled out his plumber's badge. He tapped the logo once. "He's coming your way, Ben. Get ready."

"Ah! Uh, right, right! I'll be – _we'll_ be ready!"

Wes rose an eyebrow at the badge. "He sounded a little pre-occupied."

Max grunted quietly as he got back onto his feet then pulled out a rather large, alien-looking gun. "Then let's see if we can give him a few minutes to collect his thoughts."

"Just like old times," said Wes as he pulled out a smaller gun and aimed it towards the sky.

- (X) -

"—And what do you have to say to claims that the collateral damage you caused to the Golden Gate bridge far exceeds any of that the alien posed?"

Benwolf snarled angrily at the reporter beside the large camera. "I was commended by the Mayor for what I did!"

"Commendations don't build bridges," said the reporter, a snarky dark haired woman with pale skin and a piercing glare.

"Hey!" yelled Kevin. "What would you have him do? Leave that oversized carp to tear up the countryside? He had to be stopped."

"And what about you?" asked the reporter. "Our investigative journalism team found you have a sealed Juvie record a mile long. Care to comment on what might be in there?"

Kevin blinked. "Uh, a lot of trial and error?" He looked awkwardly at the huge crowd of people surrounding them and the camera crews filming him. "Look, nobody is perfect."

"That's for sure," said the reporter.

Benwolf sniffed the air suddenly and looked towards where Grandpa Max and Wes were supposed to be on lookout. "Something isn't right," he said.

"What isn't right is vigilante justice," said the reporter, pointing the microphone at Benwolf again. "What right do you have to tear up the city to go after aliens that are probably only here because of you?"

Benwolf glared at the reporter again. "Is there an Anti-Ben Club you reporters are all in? First Will Harangue and now... uh, what was your name again?"

"Can't spare time to learn the names of the little people?" replied the reporter.

Gwen rolled her eyes at that. "Listen, we don't have time for this. There is a very real danger approaching right this minute and it would probably be best for everyone if you calmly evacuated the area."

"Evacuated?" asked the reporter. "Are you on the side of the Arlea Company? Have they paid Ben 10 to do their dirty work now?" She shook her head dramatically then quickly continued before Gwen could reply. "So, you're heroes for hire now, are you? Not very heroic, is it?"

"What?" Gwen said in the loudest voice possible. "That's preposterous!"

"That's what you say, but why else would you be here advocating Arlea Company's goals?"

"Oh, because there's a giant alien coming this way and probably won't give two thoughts to a group of suits or protestors," said Kevin, angrily.

"Says the juvenile delinquent," the reporter said without sparing Kevin a glance.

"All right, all this ad hominem really has to stop," Kevin said.

"What's that? Are you trying to use strange alien languages on us?"

"That's _Latin_," said Gwen.

The Ultimatrix flashed once and then Grandpa Max's voice emitted from the glowing symbol. "He's coming your way, Ben. Get ready."

Benwolf sighed. He had no idea how he was going to get all these people out of harms way fast enough. "Ah! Uh, right, right! I'll be -" he hesitated when he felt Julie poke him in the leg. "W_e'll_ be ready!"

"Okay, everyone, you heard him," said Kevin. "Big baddie heading this way so you all have to clear out or harmful things will happen. Got it?"

The crowd stared in exactly the way an evacuating group doesn't.

"This is a really off day for me," Kevin mumbled.

"Who is coming?" asked the reporter.

Gwen looked at her skeptically then turned to address the crowd. "It's a dangerous alien called a Lumerian that has been tearing up Native American ceremony sites across the country. We've come here to stop it but it'll be hard to do if we have to protect all of you as well." Gwen turned and looked directly at the camera. "So if you really do care about these historical sites, and not just here to be hip, _please_ get clear so we can take this bad guy down!"

The crowd seemed as unmoved as they were at Kevin's pleas, then, low mutterings came from the group and, slowly, they began back away from Painted Rock. The reporters were the resistant ones at first but soon they too backed off and began aggressively trying to interview the people leaving, implying they were cowing to authority.

"Wow," said Kevin.

"Who'd have thought the truth would actually work," Julie said with a shrug.

"Probably something you should try more often," said Kai with a smirk. "Unless we don't manage to save the site."

"Gwen," said Benwolf. "Can you pinpoint what direction the alien's coming in?"

Gwen closed her eyes briefly then opened them, exposing a magenta glow. "Something very powerful is approaching from the east. From..." she pointed. "That direction." She narrowed her eyes and the glow faded. "There's something odd about it though. He's got way more mana flowing through him than I would have thought. He almost glows like a beacon in my sight."

"What does that mean?" asked Kevin. "He's a magic user?"

"Possibly," said Gwen. "It almost feels like Charmcaster, though _much_ stronger. Maybe another spell user, perhaps?"

"Great, those guys are always fun," said Benwolf.

"Something's on its way down!" shouted Julie as she looked at the skyline.

With a loud thump, the ground shook and cloud of dust flew into the air around a spot about forty feet from the group. The cloud hung in the air for several second before a tall alien figure emerged, matching the image Jimmy showed them in Kevin's car with one exception: the limp body held in its hand.

"GRANDPA!" yelled Benwolf.

The alien laughed a deep, echoing cackle that belied his slim form. "Of course! Where one ancient Tennyson lies, so does a younger not far away!" The lower half of the alien's head cracked open revealing a brilliant white row of evenly aligned teeth. The sides of his mouth stretched upwards into a smile. "I knew sooner or later you'd show up," he said, although his mouth didn't move to match.

"You expected us?" asked Gwen. She had her hands up in a defensive position and balls of glowing purple energy hung suspended around her. Kevin was beside her, covered in dark stone, while Julie quickly summoned Ship to create her powered armor. Kai, without a power, simply stood with her legs slightly apart, ready to run if necessary.

"I can smell your blood," said the alien thickly. "Your essence glows in the night. I would cross the galaxy to find you! No one else will have the joy."

"What joy?" asked Benwolf.

The alien held up Max's body. "The joy of wiping out your line!" He flung Max's body at Ben and Gwen, startling them. Gwen acted quickly and used her magic to gently catch the motionless form while Benwolf charged forward at the alien.

"What do you want?" asked Benwolf as he tackled into the alien. The lanky looking form belied its weight and strength, however, and the alien only took a step backwards form the impact, then grabbed Benwolf around his torso and flipped him over his head.

Benwolf twisted in midair and landed squarely on his hind legs, just in time to catch the alien's fist to his head. Benwolf went flying again from the impact and hit the ground hard, sliding up a nearby hill. The alien turned to stalk slowly towards him while chuckling.

"Don't turn your back on us, punk!" yelled Kevin as he turned his fist into a large mace and swung it into the alien's back. The impact send the enemy to the ground and Julie used the opening to let loose a salvo of a dozen missiles from her power armor. They all sailed up and tracked onto the alien body, impacting at once and exploding in a cloud of gray and red smoke.

Benwolf got back to his feet and tried to peer through the cloud to see if Julie's attack did its job. He squinted and looked into the slowly growing dust cloud. "Do you see him?" he called out.

"No," yelled back Kevin.

"How's grandpa?" asked Benwolf.

"He's just unconscious," called Gwen from the other side of the cloud. Benwolf heard her taking to Kai. "Get him far away from here. I don't want to see him get any more hurt."

"What happened to _my_ Grandpa?" asked Kai with a worried tone.

"I'm sure he's just over the ridge," said Gwen with confidence that Benwolf knew she couldn't have. "We'll find him after we deal with this alien."

"I'm going in," said Kevin as he raised his mace and vanished into the cloud.

"Kevin!" Gwen called out, alarmed, but not moving to intercept. Kai grabbed Max and began dragging him away from the fight in the direction the rest of the crowd moved.

Second ticked past that felt like hours.

"UGH!" came a grunt and then a form launched up from the top of the cloud and was silhouetted in the moonlight. Two figures were wrestling in midair and their very different forms made it easy to pick out who was who, especially when Kevin's form abruptly went flying into the ground. The impact shook the ground.

Benwolf dashed through the cloud, anticipating what was going to happen next.

Gwen opened her mouth to call out for Kevin again but the alien was almost on top of her before she could catch her breath. Her purple energy barriers came up instinctually, but the alien's fist cracked them on the first hit.

Julie fired off more missiles but the alien shrugged them off. A second later, Benwolf reached them and once again tackled the alien. This time he had adjusted his angle to go for the bend in the aliens back and was able to shove him to the side away from his girlfriend and Gwen.

The two aliens tumbled across the ground before impacting against Painted Rock, causing it to fracture.

The alien smiled up at Benwolf while they wrestled. "This is laughable, you know," he growled while grabbing at tuft of Benwolf's fur. "Your ancestors put up a much better fight."

"Grandpa Max is the best there ever was," said Benwolf as he slammed the cackling alien's head against the ground. It appeared to have no effect.

"_His_ grandfather was better," said the alien.

Benwolf punched the alien in the gut once and then hesitated on the wind up. "What?" he said. "Max's grandfather?"

The alien used the hesitation to grab Benwolf by the arm and flung him towards the quickly approaching Julie. The impact sent both of them to the ground.

Rolling off of Julie, Benwolf allowed himself a second to sigh. "This would be easier if I didn't have to be Benwolf," he grumbled. He slapped the Omnitrix on his chest for emphasis and felt the rush of change suddenly flow across him. He looked down and saw he had the four muscular arms and red skin of a tetramand.

- (X) -

"What?" said Four Arms, in disbelief. "Why is it working now?"

"Worry about it later!" yelled Julie as she got back to her feet and helped Ben stand.

Four Arms nodded and ran back towards the alien, winding his fists up for a double punch. Julie watched and tried to find a good angle to launch an attack on the alien. She narrowed her eyes to try and avoid hitting Four Arms.

As Julie watched a large chunk of Painted Rock snapped off and rolled to the side with a dull thud. She sighed silently as another historical treasure was being destroyed by rampaging aliens. Then she noticed a human shadow holding something large in its hands suddenly scurry away from the broken piece and hide within the cave formed by the rock.

Julie frowned and quickly scanned the battlefield. She could account for everyone except for Wes Green, but she imagined he was still on the ridge where he was on lookout with Max. Since the alien didn't grab him like he did Max, she hoped the best for him but assume he was still there. So who was the shadow?

Julie skirted the ongoing battle just as she saw Kevin launch back into the fray with Gwen supporting his downwards strike with several mana blasts from her hands. Four Arms was doing his best to hold the alien down, but even with the increase muscle mass, the alien was clearly stronger. This battle could go either way, in Julie's opinion, so if there was a civilian hanging out, she had to get them clear.

Using the rockets in her Ship-built powered armor, Julie jumped over the top of Painted Rock and landed inside. She noticed the figure immediately. It was a tall man in a long ragged coat peering round the corner of the broken off piece of stone and holding a staff with a gnarled end. Julie assumed he was one of the tribal protestors.

"Hey," she said using the amplifiers in her suit. "You have to get out of here or you'll get hurt."

The man spun on his foot, startled, and revealed a drawn and heavily bruised face that had been a painted gray except around the eyes. The man was clutching a staff inscribed with glowing runes.

The man's eyes widened, then he pointed his staff at Julie and white light erupted from the tip, forming three large rings that bound themselves around Julie and crackled with energy. The screens inside of her power armor flared white and she could hear whimpering coming from Ship.

"Sorry, girlie, I don't have time for you right now," said Hex, frowning. He turned back to the broken edge of the stone and then swung the staff into the rock, causing another large piece of Painted Rock to crack and come tumbling down. He leapt away quickly and then shined a purple light onto the newly exposed edge.

Julie struggled against the magical bonds but kept an eye on Hex. They were tucked away enough into U-shape of Painted Rock that she couldn't see the battle with the alien, only hear the thunderous cracks of Four Arms' fists or Kevin's mace striking the ground.

The light from Hex's staff revealed shiny metal beneath the stone with what looked like black lettering. Julie was too far to read it but it looked like English.

"Finally, we found it," said Hex with a very relieved-sounding sigh. He wiped his brow, which Julie noticed was covered in sweat. Then he raised his staff up and it glowed purple. The metal structure beneath the stone covering suddenly lit up with purple runes that were similar, if not exactly the same, as the ones on Hex's staff.

Purple crackling magic jumped between the staff and the metal structure and after a moment a surge of energy flew out of the rock and struck Hex in the chest, throwing him to the ground and knocking the wind out of him.

Hex rubbed his chest – which now had a huge black mark on it – and stared in shock at the metal object. "Charmcaster?" he said softly.

The magician shook his head and then steeled himself once more. He stood up and held his staff high into the air and began loudly chanting. Julie didn't recognize the language at all, nor did even its origins, and she assumed it was some arcane ritual.

A bolt of lighting suddenly came down from above and struck Hex's staff, causing it to glow bright white and similar energy to shine from his eyes and mouth. The shockwave from the lightning strike slammed into Julie and toppled her onto her back. She could see cracks forming across all of Painted Rock as she struggled to roll over and see what was happening with Hex.

By the time she got herself back onto her side and could see, Hex was no longer glowing and the purple runes on the metal object were slowly being drawn out and absorbed into Hex's staff. The magician himself was gritting his teeth and looked to be struggling heavily with effort. It was only a few seconds later that the last rune peeled away from the object within Painted Rock and vanished into the staff. Hex sighed deeply after it was done and leaned on his staff.

Then he was struck in the side with purple mana and went flying into the rockface. He impacted near Julie and the slid to the ground in a heap. At the same time, the magical binds around Julie vanished and she tried to get back onto her feet. Ship moaned dreadfully and once Julie was balanced on her heels again, Ship slid off her body and returned to its blob-like shape beside her. It looked dreadfully sad as it did so.

"Thank you, boy," said Julie, patting Ship on the head.

"Julie! Are you okay?" Gwen was running across purple glowing platforms to get down to where Hex and Julie were. "What was _Hex_ doing here?"

"I don't know but it's _here_," said Julie, excitedly.

"What is?" asked Gwen.

"The thing, whatever it is they were looking for," said Julie. She pointed at the exposed metal beneath the rock face. "It's here. Hex was casting some spell on it."

"I saw the lightning," said Gwen as she peered at the metal. "What did he do?"

Suddenly a large figure flew between Gwen and Julie and slammed into the inner loop of Painted Rock. Julie looked over. "BEN!" she yelled and ran toward Four Arms.

A cackle echoed between the stone and Gwen looked in the opposite direction to see the alien walking over, this time holding a struggling Kevin in his hand. The alien looked at the metal and grinned. "He opened it." Casually, the alien threw Kevin into the air far above the rock.

Gwen instinctive threw her hands out and created a slide of mana to catch her boyfriend and bring him down the ground again.

Ben reverted back to himself as Julie helped him sit up just in time to see the alien slam his fist into the exposed metal, tearing a hole and revealing glowing green circuitry beneath. With two hands, the alien gripped the sides of the hole and pulled, tearing away at the metal and causing the ground to shake.

Chunks of stone from Painted Rock fell and shattered against the ground nearby. Kevin picked himself up and swung his arm around to break larger chucks that threatened to hit the team. "Move!" he yelled.

Ben, Gwen, and Julie took the hint and ran through the shower of stones to get away from the crumbling ritual grounds. As they ran clear they turned back and stared.

The stone was crumbling all around the alien but revealing a huge metal structure that looked like a giant metal ring with a cylinder in the middle. The horseshoe shape of Painted Rock was clearly just one half of the larger structure, which was now shaking and freeing itself from the earth. The alien's constant tearing of metal and ripping of circuitry suddenly cause the ring to glow and lift itself out of the ground, hovering five or ten feet above the head of the alien.

"That's Plumber tech," said Kevin suddenly. He frowned. "It's a containment pod."

"_That's_ plumber tech?" asked Ben. "It's huge!"

"I don't know what the ring is about, but the cylinder in the middle is a Class 7 containment vessel," said Kevin. "It's used to transport high-energy prisoners to the Null Void."

"We've never seen one," said Gwen.

"It's an old model," shrugged Kevin. "Fifties tech at best. Suppressors are more common now."

"How is that possible?" asked Julie. "Painted Rock has been here for millions of years!"

Kevin shook his head but said nothing.

"Shouldn't we be... stopping him?" asked Julie.

The alien beneath the containment vessel leapt into the air and landed on top of the cylinder in the middle of the device. With a dramatic wind up, the alien punched into the center of the containment vessel releasing a huge blue-white wave of energy into the sky. The machine began to wobble and emitted a deep whirring noise before suddenly going dark and crashing into the ground again.

The ground shook beneath everyone's feet again and Julie grabbed on to Ben to help keep her balance. They all watched as a cloud of dust sprang up around the machine obscuring the view of the alien again.

"What happened?" asked Ben.

"We've got to go check it out," said Kevin. "Who knows what was inside there?"

Ben went first, approaching the machine's ruined ring, with Gwen, Julie, and Kevin behind him. The debris from the machine was scattered over an area half a mile across. They stepped carefully between pieces, moving in a row over the remains of the ring and towards where the center cylinder lay.

The creaking of metal startled Ben and he looked up to see the alien again, pulling off the top of the cylinder and throwing it aside. The sound of creaking metal returned but this time the alien was not moving.

Then a large scaled hand reached out of the cylinder and gripped the side of the containment vessel. It was quickly joined by a second and then a hulking, lizard-like beast pulled itself up and out of the cylinder. The beast was large enough that Ben wondered how it fit inside the small container. It stood on top of the remains of its prison with a hunched back and black eyes that stared at the other alien suspiciously.

"Who—" started the lizard-like alien.

"There is no time," said the Lumerian. "You have work to do. Complete the loop, or this will be meaningless."

The Lumerian shimmered for a second, seeming to fade away from existence for several seconds before snapping back to become solid again. His form had changed, however, and instead of being a tall, thin, alien, he looked like an average, middle aged man, with black, goggles, and a labcoat.

"Paradox?" Ben said.

The lizard-like alien looked over at Ben with an angry expression but Paradox simply grabbed his chin and pulled it back to face him. "Forget them," said Paradox. "Listen carefully. Steal from the man who looks like me. Everything will be clear after that."

"Who looks like-?" started the lizard-like alien but then Paradox placed his hand on the alien's chest. In a flash of light the lizard alien was gone.

"What was that all about Professor Paradox?" asked Gwen. She began stomping forward, ready to demand an explanation.

Kevin grabbed her roughly and held her back. "Don't," he said simply. He had a frown and wouldn't take his eyes off of Paradox.

"My word, you children know nothing, do you?" said Paradox looking down at them. "Haven't your elders taught you anything? But, no, of course not. Because they choose to forget."

"Who are you?" asked Ben, realizing what Kevin had moments before.

"You see? You would know if they weren't so embarrassed," said Paradox with a smile. "So eager to forget about me and the good times we've had."

"What do you mean?" asked Gwen. "What just happened? Who was that alien?"

Paradox shook his head. "So _ignorant_. It's not even worth it to finish you off anymore." He turned on his foot and looked towards the sky. "I'll let you share the fate of your miserable planet." Then, in a flash, he was gone.

Julie looked around. "Does anyone know what just happened?" she asked.

Another flash of light appeared behind the group and they turned to see a sleek black and silver colored jet, with a tinted-green pilots hatch. Two large circular glowing engines on either side of the fuselage were glowing white but then quickly faded. The hatch opened and two figures jumped out. One of whom Gwen immediately recognized as Charmcaster.

"Damn, it looks like we're too late," said the older man in a tactical vest and armor.

Charmcaster slammed her fist into the side of the jet. "I _told_ you the math was wrong!"

"Hey, I'm not going to question a Galvan when it comes to _science_!" yelled the older man.

"Hey!"

The two new arrivals stopped and turned towards Ben, who was the source of the shout.

"Will either of you explain what's going on?" demanded Ben with a frown.

"Hey, Ben, Gwen, good to see ya!" said the man with a casual smile.

Ben stared at the man but couldn't place him.

"It's me, Phil," said the man. "Your Grandpa Max's old partner in the Plumbers."

"Phil?" said Gwen, confused. "I thought you were serving time in the Null Zone."

"Eh, I got an early release," shrugged Phil.

"Who arranged that?" asked Kevin, skeptical.

"An old man named Paradox."

"We just saw him," said Ben. "He caused all of this!" He motioned at the wreckage around them.

"That wasn't Paradox," said Charmcaster, solemnly. She looked squarely at Ben. "That was Brozz."

Everyone stared at her.

"Who's Brozz?" asked Ben.

- (X) -


	6. Chapter 5 Revelation

**Chapter 5 – Revelation**

**- (X) -**

_August 22nd, 1944_

_Tennyson Memorial Plumber's Facility_

_(Inside Mount Rushmore)_

The room was tall, filled with equipment, and constructed deep within Mount Rushmore, below and behind the iconic heads that were carved there to provide cover for the creation of the facility. Despite the hundreds of meters of stone between the facility and the surface of the mountain, each strike from the attacker rocked the large room Jeffrey Tennyson was standing in enough to throw of his balance.

Jeffrey pushed up the visor he was wearing to reveal his mostly gray hair and blue eyes. He looked angrily at the young, green skinned, and tentacle alien beside him. "Is there anything you can do to hold this steady while I work?"

"Would you like me to go out and ask Brozz to stop?" suggested Xylene sarcastically.

Jeffrey grumbled and slammed his visor down again. He reached into the huge metal ring and began soldering on the last few circuits of the device.

"Be careful!" shouted a voice from within the metal contraption. Jeffrey straightened himself and flipped his visor up again as a small Galvan climbed his way out of the hole Jeffrey was working in.

"Damn it, Azmuth, _I know_," said Jeffrey with a scowl. "You don't have to tell me constantly."

"Stop being so sloppy, then!" said Azmuth. He pointed his finger sharply at the human.

"We're in a bit of a rush, you know," said Xylene.

"If you don't do it right, it won't work at all!" said Azmuth. "You humans are always in such a rush to finish."

"Hey," said Xylene.

"And you're no better," finished Azmuth. "Or haven't you figured out why you've been bounced around the Plumbers so much?"

"I hear you don't have a very good track record yourself," said Xylene with a frown.

"_That's_ because nobody treats Galvans with respect," said Azmuth. "Just because I'm so short you think you can brush me aside."

Xylene rolled her eyes. Jeffrey then brushed Azmuth aside so he could finish what he was working on.

"Unbelievable," said Azmuth as he skulked away. "This is _my_ design you know!"

"We know!" said Jeffrey and Xylene simultaneously.

"Hmph," said Azmuth.

The room vibrated again from the attacks outside. Azmuth steadied himself by putting a hand on the ring. After the rocking stopped, he looked at the huge contraption and gently ran his hand along the metal exterior. "Not a bad piece of work, if I do say so myself."

"If it does what it's supposed to do, I'll agree," said Jeffrey, still up to his elbows in the hatchway.

"It will," nodded Azmuth. He paused. "Then what will you do?"

Jeffrey paused and looked briefly up at Azmuth, then to Xylene. He sighed and looked back down at what he was doing. "If it works, then nothing. I'm done."

"Done?" asked Xylene.

"Yeah, done," said Jeffrey. "Fighting this monster has been my family's awful legacy. I want nothing to do with it anymore."

"If we capture him—" started Azmuth, but Jeffrey wouldn't let him finish.

"Then we're succeeded," said Jeffrey. "You can go back, take all the credit, and maybe get that research laboratory you wanted. Just leave me and my family out of it. I _will_ be the last Plumber in the Tennyson family."

"You don't mean that..." said Xylene softly.

Jeffrey looked up again and pushed up his visor. "Yes, I do, Xy," he said. "I watched my father and his best friend die right in front of me. He watched his aunt die, and she saw her father die. Being a Plumber is just a countdown until that day when I gotta lay down my life and pass the curse onto a new generation." He shook his head. "No. I'm through. When this is done, I'm retired."

Xylene and Azmuth stared as Jeffrey looked down into the hatch and plugged in the circuit board he was working on. "Maybe – if it's not too late – Esther and I can finally have kids."

"Y-you waited on children until you could get rid of Brozz?" asked Xylene.

"What choice did I have? I won't have children when there's the chance an alien is going to drop out of the sky and pull out my spine."

"You know, even if you retire, there will still be visitors to your planet," said Azmuth. "The galaxy is too small these days."

"Then I hope I'm leaving the Plumbers in capable hands," said Jeffrey, looking up at Xylene and Azmuth.

Azmuth watched Jeffery close the hatch and flip the switch on the exterior, causing the huge ring to light up and begin to hum.

"Your heroism is not limited to the battles you've won," said Azmuth kindly.

"There will be other heroes," said Jeffrey. He picked up the two plazma pistols on the counter and put them back into his holsters.

"There are already heroes," said Azmuth. "But I think the name Tennyson will not soon be forgotten."

Jeffrey grinned boyishly. "Assume we don't all die here today." He put his hands on his hips as he felt the rumbling from another attack by Brozz. "So what do you say? Shall we see who it is at the door?"

**- (X) -**

Charmcaster and Phil stood behind nearby trees looking out over the Black Forest Hills at the lizard-like Brozz attacking the back of Mount Rushmore. Paradox was chewing gum and standing in the nearby clearing.

"Are you sure it's safe here?" asked Phil again. "We're awfully close and you're doing _absolutely nothing_ to hide yourself."

Paradox nodded. "Brozz will be singularly focused on getting to Jeffrey Tennyson. We needn't worry unless we get in his way."

"Are we planning on getting in his way?" asked Charmcaster with an arched brow.

Paradox pulled out his watch and studied it. "Not long now," he said quietly. He pocketed the timepiece and looked at Charmcaster. "You two will be. I won't."

"Gee, thanks," grumbled Charmcaster.

"I don't get it, what are _we_ supposed to do?" asked Phil. "There is no way my gun is going to take out that... _thing_."

"That may be true, but there are more Plumbers within that mountain who might be able to help," said Paradox with a nod. He pointed at the mountain. "You see?"

The sound of grinding stone roared through the valley as part of the back of Mount Rushmore opened up and revealed a gigantic metal ring that was possibly the size of a football field across. Phil stared, flabbergasted.

"That's totally not there in the present," said Phil.

"What is that?" asked Charmcaster.

"A prison," said Paradox. "A very special one, made specifically for the criminal out there right now." He looked again at his watch. "And one, I'm afraid, that won't work without your help. So, it is time for you to get to work."

"Wait—_what_?" said Phil.

"What do you want us to do?" said Charmcaster.

"Sorry," shrugged Paradox. "Spoilers." He reached out and touched each of his two companions on the nose and they vanished in a spray of light. In the distance, near to the action, he saw the flashes of their arrival.

Nodding to himself, Paradox studied his watch. The hands on it weren't moving. He frowned.

"So that wasn't enough," he said. "What am I missing?"

**- (X) -**

Phil jumped into the giant hole that the Ring emerged from and tumbled to get out of the way of Brozz's fist. He rolled next to Xylene and held his gun at the ready.

"Hi! I'm Phil ," said Phil. "How can I help?"

"What are you doing here?" asked Xylene, testily. "There aren't supposed to be any more human Plumbers."

"Let's just say we're both surprised I'm here, and deal with the matter at hand," said Phil. He motioned toward Brozz with his gun. "I'm assuming there is a plan. What's the plan?"

"Uh, beat him until he falls," said Xylene, experimentally.

Phil sighed. "Just like old times." He looked at Xylene for a second more. "I still don't know what Max ever saw in you."

"Who?" said Xylene.

"Nevermind," said Phil. He stood up and ran back towards the fight going on between Jeffrey, Azmuth, Charmcaster, and Brozz.

**- (X) -**

Jeffrey grabbed his arm and rolled away from Brozz's second swing, all too aware that a misstep would result in every bone in his body turning to dust. The newcomer, a woman in purple with white hair covered his escape and flung white bolts of lighting at Brozz.

The lizard-alien staggered with each shot from the apparent magician, and Jeffrey was relieved to find someone with an attack the Chamatronian hadn't yet adapted to.

"Are you an Anodite?" asked Jeffrey as he tried to catch his breath.

"Ugh, _no_," said Charmcaster as she cast another spell. "I'm from Ledgerdomain."

"Where?" asked Jeffrey.

"Nevermind," grumbled Charmcaster. She pulled out her bag and opened it wide. "COME FORTH!" A dozen stone golems came charging out of her tiny hip-bag and began leaping onto Brozz and beating him with their fists.

"Wow," said Jeffrey.

"Yeah, I know," said Charmcaster with a sly grin.

"You need to position him in the center of the device!" yelled Azmuth as he scampered over.

Charmcaster looked at the Galvan with a puzzled expression. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Azmuth. But the better question is who are you?" said the Galvan.

"Just consider me a friend," said Charmcaster. "Center of that ring, right?"

"Just long enough for me to activate it," said Jeffrey. He pulled out a heavy gun from his back holster. "Here, you'll probably need it."

Charmcaster raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no thanks. I've got my own guns." She turned on her heel and held her hands to her sides. "All right lizardman, lets rock." Her hands glowed brightly. "RAVA EELARTAS GALLAMETROY!"

Black clouds billowed out from Charmcasters hands and surrounded Brozz. Flashes of lightning and the sounds of thunder echoed out of the cloud. She laughed as several bolts struck Brozz, flinging him against the rockface.

"I hope you can control that lightning," said Azmuth wearily.

"Chill out, short stuff," said Charmcaster.

Phil and Xylene jumped down to Charmcaster and Azmuth were standing. "Your plan seems to be working better than our plan," said Phil.

"Don't get too relaxed, he's a Chamatronian," said Xylene. "He'll adapt before long."

"Doesn't seem to be putting up much of a fight right now," said Charmcaster with a wide grin. Her lightning struck Brozz a fifth time as the winds spun around his writhing form.

"Push him into the center of the ring, then!" yelled Azmuth.

"You got it, Azmuth," said Phil. He pulled out a metal rod and screwed it onto the end of his gun and began running to one side of the lightning storm.

Azmuth stared at the man as he ran and rubbed his chin in thought.

"I'll get to the control panel," said Jeffrey. He ran back towards the large control monitor in the back of the facility.

Xylene looked towards Azmuth. "This is really odd," she said.

Azmuth nodded.

**- (X) -**

Phil aimed his gun into the cloud but hesitated. "I can't see a damn thing in there," he called out. "Ease off the lightning."

"Your funeral," said Charmcaster as she let the glow on her hands die away. The clouds almost immediately began to dissipate.

Phil quickly lifted his gun and looked down the sights. "Hey, I said _ease_ off, not _turn_ off!"

"It's not like my magic has a dial on it!" yelled Charmcaster back.

Phil lined up his gun and fired as soon as he had a clear shot on the alien. The giant cylinder splintered apart halfway between them and exploded into a silver netting that surrounded the lizard. A thin metallic cord extended from the end of the gun to the netting, which Phil wrapped around his hand and began to pull.

"Geeze, this guy is heavy," groaned Phil.

Xylene ran over to Phil and grabbed the cord to help. Together they slowly started pulling Brozz towards the center of the ring.

"That's good, just a little further," said Jeffrey as he watched them on the giant monitor.

"You're pretty strong," commented Phil.

"My species is naturally stronger than yours," said Xylene.

Phil grinned at her. "I know."

They both pulled on the body for a few more second.

"You know, I thought this would be harder," said Phil.

The cord suddenly pulled taught and then yanked back pulling Phil and Xylene back towards Brozz. The lizard flipped back onto feet and pulled Phil and Xylene towards him. As they flew though the air Phil twisted his torso and kicked Xylene away just before he felt the large fingers of Brozz grab his neck.

Brozz coughed as he struggled for air.

"Easy enough for you?" growled Brozz.

A large beam of yellow energy impacted Brozz squarely in the back, causing him to stagger forward. A half second later a computer console flew across the room and slammed into his arm, splintering into a hundred pieces that showered the alien in silicon.

Phil pulled his gun out again and fired four times into Brozz' arm, loosening the grip enough to wiggle free. He landed on the ground hard, slamming his knee in to the stone hard enough he couldn't help but let out a short scream.

"Get clear!" yelled Jeffrey. He was holding a large rifle that was glowing yellow.

Charmcaster held out a glowing hand. "META QUINIX!" she shouted. Phil found himself surrounded in a red glow and was quickly yanked away from Brozz.

Jeffrey fired repeatedly at Brozz, each shot sounding like a canon and releasing a wide beam of yellow energy. The first two pushed him the back and nearly toppled him, but the third and fourth were quickly batted away by the alien.

"Damn," said Jeffrey. "He's getting quicker."

"Tennyson!" shouted Brozz. He began running towards the human Plumber, quickly closing the distance between them.

Inches before his fist came flying into Jeffrey's chest a metal manipulator arm swung from the rafters of the facility and batted Brozz away, sending him flying into a computer console on the opposite side of the room. It exploded into a shower of sparks and light.

Jeffrey looked in the opposite direction and saw Azmuth standing at the control console and looking back with an amused expression.

"Thanks," said Jeffrey.

"The center of the ring," repeated Azmuth.

"Right," nodded Jeffrey. He turned and grabbed a new gun from his belt and attached a conical emitter onto the end of it. He ran towards the slowly moving pile of ruined computer equipment.

To the side, Charmcaster was quickly flinging out stone golems from her pouch and sending them marching toward Brozz. She shook her head when she saw Tennyson running full bore in the fray.

"We're gonna need to work together," she announced to Phil and Xylene - who was helping Phil stand on his bruised knee.

"I'm open to suggestions," said Phil.

"He _seems_ to be vulnerable to magic," said Charmcaster. "You lure him into the right position and I'll make sure he stays there long enough to activate the machine."

"What should we do?" asked Xylene as she motioned towards Azmuth.

"It'd be nice if you could keep us from getting killed in the process," shrugged Charmcaster. "Get to it."

Phil looked up at the suspended metal ring and judged the center as best he could. Jeffrey had sent Brozz into the corner of the facility, which meant their target had a long distance to cross. He considered his options.

"Hey, scaly-face," shouted Phil. "This is best you can do? A busted knee?"

"Yeah," called out Xyele. "He's... uh, still got a face. You haven't hit that face yet!"

Phil looked at Xylene. "I don't think that's helping. Can't you use your telekinesis to pull him over here?"

Xylene shook her head. "He adapted to that a long time ago. It just gives me a headache when I try."

"ACK!" squealed Jeffrey as he tried to avoid getting hit by Brozz's counterattacks. "I could use help here!"

"Ah, right," said Phil as he brought his gun to bear and began firing. Xylene lifted pieces of machinery and toolboxes around her and flung them towards Brozz. Jeffrey ducked under a flying desk and then began running towards Phil and Xylene.

Brozz turned his back to the onslaught and then leapt backwards into the air and landed between Jeffrey and Phil. Scampering to stop his momentum, Jeffery jumped to the side to dodge a violent kick from the alien. He rolled onto his back and pulled out a small metal orb and threw it.

Brozz caught the device which promptly exploded in his hand, throwing schrapnel everywhere. Jeffery held his hands over his face to protect it from the debris and felt several pieces of metal cut into his legs and arms. When he lowered his arms he saw Brozz still standing there.

"Tickles," he said with a grin.

Jeffrey looked up and saw the edge of the ring above him. Brozz was still not in position, he had to be moved at least another twenty yards back. He swallowed and then tightened his grip on his last gun.

"This is the end for us, Brozz," said Jeffrey. "Too many years."

"I agree," laughed Brozz. "I have been getting bored of you. Got any relatives to take your place once I crush you?"

Jeffrey got to his feet. He winced slightly as he realized some of the cuts on his legs were quite deep. "No," he said confidently. "No more. Just you and me." He slowly brought his gun up behind his back and touched it with his other hand.

"Pity," said Brozz. "I'll just have to destroy your planet next."

Jeffrey narrowed his eyes. "Over my dead body."

"Well, that _was_ the implication," said Brozz. He curled his lips up exposing his rows of sharp teeth.

"Fine," said Jeffrey. Then he swung his arms around and ran straight into Brozz, pushing his gun flat against the alien's chest and holding it there firmly. A giant hand rose up and swiftly descended towards the Plumber's head.

Then Jeffrey's gun exploded in a brilliant display of orange light and smoke. The explosion flung both Brozz and Jeffrey in opposite directions covered in smoke and debris. Brozz landed and slid across the floor from his momentum, eventually coming to a rest right in the center of the ring.

"Now!" yelled Azmuth.

Phil and Xylene looked towards the unmoving form of Jeffrey on the other side of the room.

"Damn," cursed Phil and two ran full out towards the control console. He felt his legs burn as he pushed them beyond his limits. Then he felt his legs go even faster and almost seemed to be lifting off the ground. He looked down to see his rapidly moving legs encased in a white-purple light.

Charmcaster held her glowing hands up as she pushed Phil along after and faster towards the control console. The aging Plumber ran seventy yards in fifteen seconds.

Phil slammed his hips against the control console when he finally reached his destination, the pain shot up his spine and immediately gave him a headache. He pushed the aches aside, however, and focused on the display. Phil recognized the layout of the controls, standard Plumber configuration, and quickly brought up the operators screen for the containment vessel.

"Hurry!" yelled Xylene as she – at normal speed – ran to reach him. "He's getting up."

"No, he isn't," said Charmcaster. She turned her attention to Brozz and held up her hands again. "ERADIKO!" Brozz was suddenly encased in purple light and enclosed in a bubble.

Phil finally found the activation protocol and started it. The giant ring began to glow white. Energy crackled along its exterior, and the humming noise grew in volume. A section of the floor beneath Brozz's feet suddenly broke open and revealed a shiny silver cylinder that opened along its side and quickly closed around the alien. The cylinder then continued to rise until it was level with the glowing ring.

A series of six thick rods extended from the cylinder and attached themselves like spokes to the ring and causing the energy to flow down them and into the cylinder. The whole thing shook and fluctuated in color between orange, green, and white.

A series of red boxes appeared on the control console. Phil frowned. "This isn't good," he said. "He's resisting stasis."

"That isn't possible," said Azmuth. He lowered the mechanical arm and climbed upon it, then sent it over towards the console. He jumped down onto the metal panel and looked up at the display. "His adaptive abilities are nearly unlimited." Azmuth's voice was full of awe.

"Don't be impressed," said Phil. "How do we stop it?"

"We can't," said Azmuth. "I hadn't anticipated this. His energy signature is wildly variable. There may be no single force that can contain him forever. Any barrier his body encounters it changes itself to find a way to overcome and eventually duplicate. The possibilities are limitless."

Xylene - who was kneeling beside Jeffrey's unconscious form and gently tending to his exposed wounds - looked up at the glowing ring. "So that's it? Jeffrey's family will never have freedom from Brozz? He'll forever be hunting them?"

Charmcaster stepped towards the ring. "My magic worked on it before, maybe I can do something." She reached into her magic pouch and pulled out a small black book with silver accents on it. She flipped through the pages quickly. "Here. A binding spell." She looked back toward Phil and Azmuth expectantly.

"Go ahead," said Azmuth with a nod.

Charmcaster looked back and held up her hand. "Ayerdih Gravis Thrasius Erectum!"

Giant glowing purple runes appeared in the air around Charmcaster and circled her, drawing large amounts of energy from her body. First four appeared, then sixteen, then sixty-four. As each rune emerged more energy flowed from Charmcaster, and she struggled under the drain. She dropped to her knees when the last row emerged but she still kept her hand up and pointing towards the cylinder.

She lifted her eyes and grit her teeth. "SCRIBO!"

The runes flew off and burned themselves into the cylinder and into the rest of the ring structure. As each rune bound itself to the machine the gentle white glow turned purple and grew in intensity.

Finally the last of the runes had left Charmcaster and she lowered her arms to her sides, slumping on her knees and breathing heavily.

The screen before Phil and Azmuth turned green again.

"It worked," said Phil. "Or at least, the drain is much slower. It might just hold him for a _very_ long time."

"That's an understatement," said Azmuth. "The decay is one one-billionth of its previous rate. It could hold him for millions of years like this." He turned and stared at the caster. "And again, I am impressed. I would never think such power could come from... well, from one so young."

Phil raised an eyebrow and looked at Azmuth with a grin. "Remember you said that in about fifty years."

Azmuth's turned quickly to face Phil. "What do you mean? Who _are_ you, anyway? You know Plumber protocols but I've never seen you before. There should only be _one_ human Plumber."

"Best not to think about it too hard," said Phil. "We'll be out of your hair in no time." He looked at Azmuth's smooth head. "Well, metaphorically speaking."

"We need to get Jeffrey to a hospital," said Xylene. "He's in a bad shape and there is only so much I can do with my abilities to keep him stable."

"I can take him," said Phil. "It's probably better for a human to do it in this era, anyway. Don't want to spook the doctors."

Azmuth frowned again at Phil.

"So, what do we do with this thing?" asked Charmcaster when she caught her breath again. She pointed up at the glowing containment vessel and ring. "Can't just leave it here in Mount Rushmore. _Someone's_ going to find it."

"We'll turn it over to Command," said Xylene simply.

"The Plumber Central Command?" asked Phil. "No way. They'll be too tempted to open it again."

"Why would they do such a thing?" asked Xylene, appalled.

Phil looked to Azmuth with an expectant expression.

Azmuth sighed. "He is the only known Chamatronian. His abilities are unparalleled in the universe. He merits study." He shook his head. "I agree with you. There is no way he'll remain locked up forever."

"And when he gets out he'll come right here," said Phil. "So think again. You need to send this somewhere it'll never get disturbed again."

Charmcaster looked up at the opening in the facility and the night sky above. "I have an idea," she said. She raised her hands and - with effort – caused them to glow again. "A-ATHERVO!" she shouted.

The entire ring began to glow and lift out of the facility. The glow from the magics interacting turned it into a huge glowing disc in the night sky. Charmcaster pointed her hand into the night and then with a flick of her fingers, the disc went flying up into space.

"What did you do!" asked Phil.

"I sent it into deep space," said Charmcaster. "As far away from any planets or star systems I could sense. Once it reaches the edge of the galaxy, nobody will find it again."

"It could take years for that to happen," said Phil.

"It will take thousands of years at that rate," said Azmuth. "But once it leaves the confines of the Milky Way, it will be almost impossible to locate again without reference. It's not a bad idea."

Phil shook his head. "I hope you're right."

Azmuth shook his head. Then he turned to Charmcaster. "So, where is Ledgerdomain?"

**- (X) -**

Paradox stood on the Black Hills and watched the glowing disc fly off into space. He consulted his watch yet again. Still the hands had not moved.

"This is the start of the disturbance point," he said to himself. "So what is causing the disturbance?"

A second later a large hand gripped him around the torso and lifted him off ground.

"Ahh!" shouted Paradox as he felt the fingers tighten and begin to crush his ribs. He tried to twist himself free but could move at all. He tried to remove himself from the time path he was on but the disturbance in the timestream interfered and anchored him down.

The hand turned so Paradox could see who was holding him. The timewalker looked into the angry face of Brozz.

"So," Paradox struggled to speak. "It's you."

"It's me," said Brozz. He tightened his grip even further and Paradox felt a rib break.

"W-why?" asked Paradox.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," said Brozz, thoughtfully. "But I told myself I would understand after I'd copied your powers."

"Nobody can copy my powers," said Paradox. "Only the Celestialsapiens have the ability and why would they lower themselves to my level- AAHHCK!" Another rib broke.

"You're wrong," said Brozz. "And I know because I've already met my future self and he looks an awful lot like _you_."

Paradox's eyes widened. "No! It's _you!_ Not me. I thought it was me! I thought the madness had returned but... oh my!" He looked around, alarmed for the first time in millennia. "_I'm_ the disturbance. I've caused this paradox."

Brozz frowned at the time walker but slowly his expression changed to one of fascination. "Y...yes," he said. "You're right. In trying to stop me, you created the disturbance you were trying to prevent. Good show, old man." He looked to the sky. "I can see it now, the lines of fate leading to this moment." He laughed. "It was inevitable. Surely you could see it."

"I can see event, not cause," said Paradox. "And you should see no more than I."

"But you've never looked into the heart of a star, or saw the birth of a black hole," said Brozz. "The cause is obvious if you know how to see."

Paradox winced as he felt more bones crack. "Y-you are _still _bound by causality! If you saw yourself in the future you... ack—you still need to make sure that event happens as you remembered it!"

"Or what?" asked Brozz.

"Or _everything_ will be lost," said Paradox. "If you unravel a closed loop it will disrupt the flow of time. You could find yourself trapped outside of reality and nobody will remember you ever existed!"

"Sounds like a good backup plan," said Brozz with a grin. He squeezed again.

"AHHH!" screamed Paradox as his bones snapped and his organs were punctured. Suddenly his skin began to crack and light seeped out. The splinters spread across his face and body until he was nothing but a human shaped ball of light which exploded into sparkles that drifted away in the breeze.

Brozz looked down to see a blackened skeleton wearing goggles and a labcoat in his hand. The skeleton then began to crumble to dust and the alien opened his fingers to let all that remained of the timewalker to fall to the ground.

The last thing that fell from his fingers was a brass pocketwatch.

Brozz closed his eyes and shifted his form, shrinking in size and shape until he looked identical to the timewalker he'd just killed.

"Now then," said the new Paradox as he adjusted his goggles. "I need a magician."

Then, in a flash, he was gone.


	7. Chapter 6 Charmed By Caster

**Chapter 6 – Charmed By Caster**

**- (X) -**

_July 10__th__, 2010_

_Marian Medical Center_

_Santa Maria, California_

The tones coming from the medical equipment in the room were soothing and regular, and in the dark of night, it broke up the monotonous silence of the hospital. Hex – or as his chart said, 'John Hex' – rested as well as he could in the bandages covering his body. He was lucky to survive the collapse of Painted Rock and the emergence of the containment vessel with his head intact, especially considering he had been at ground zero and unconscious. But a small part of him couldn't help but wonder if he would have been better off having died than lying here in a hospital where his niece was not far away.

On cue, there was a flash of white and purple light and she appeared. Charmcaster, standing in his hospital room, arms crossed, and glaring at him.

"My dear," started Hex but his niece merely held up a hand.

"Save it," she said. "You have about twenty minutes before the Tennyson brigade marches in here and violently interrogates you and of I'm half a mind to let them."

"You have to understand—" began Hex but he was cut off again.

"I don't want excuses, I want the truth," said Charmcaster. "I have reason to believe you've been hiding a lot from me, Uncle, but right now I want to know: why were you working with Brozz?"

Hex sighed and closed his eyes. "He promised me power."

"Is that it?" snapped Charmcaster. "Is that all it takes to gain your trust? Your honor? A mystic rune, a new spell, and you'll follow anyone _anywhere_?" She shook her head. "He's a _monster_, Uncle, I've seen it with my own eyes. He'll destroy this world without a second thought."

"It doesn't matter," said Hex. "This world is insignificant."

"_That's _a change in a familiar tune," said Charmcaster. "What happened to 'taking over the world and all those in it?'"

"We _need_ power, Charm," said Hex. "I thought we could yoke these people and use them but I was wrong. They're useless. We need _raw_ power, something we can take with us."

"Take _where_?" said Charmcaster. "This is _our_ world now! We need to keep it safe if we're going to live in it."

"This will never be my home," said Hex. "I always intended to go back to Ledgerdomain."

Charmcaster's jaw dropped. "You're _joking_. For what reason? So we can be hated and despised by everyone?"

"So we can free our people!" shouted Hex. Then he started coughing and struggled to calm himself.

"What are you talking about?" asked Charmcaster.

"I'm sorry, my dear," said Hex slowly. "I-I lied to you."

Charmcaster frowned. "About what?"

"Everything," said Hex. "You were just a child, you couldn't have understood. I told myself it was better for you to think... but then, it was just easier to keep telling you the lies then admit to you that I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?" asked Charmcaster.

"Adwaita," breathed Hex.

"He was defeated," said Charmcaster.

"No," Hex shook his head. "He was not."

Charmcaster's eyes widened.

"We were overrun," explained Hex. "Even the combined cults of Archamada stood no chance before him. We had to flee or be enslaved."

Charmcaster took a step back and then sat down in a nearby chair. "All this time... Adwaita has been occupying Ledgerdomain?"

Hex looked away. "We could do nothing, except try to amass enough power to fight back."

"So that's what this was all about?" asked Charmcaster. "Trying to take over the world? Just to get an army big enough to march back to our home? And for what? We've been here for fifteen years, Uncle! What do we have to show for it?"

"You needed to _grow_," said Hex. "Your power is still untapped, you can be the strongest asset we take back to Ledgerdomain. Even if we have no army, the fact that you are more capable than me – more capable than your father _ever_ was! - That's what the time has bought us. Time to develop your skills."

"I can't stand against Adwaita alone," said Charmcaster. "If the combined cults of Achamada couldn't do it, there's no way I could. I'm not that strong. That idiot Gwen Tennyson is more powerful than me!"

"You still have more to learn," said Hex.

"And while I'm here _learning_ our people are suffering!"

"There is no other choice!" shouted Hex. "We have to grow our skills or we don't stand a chance. _This _is why I never told you! You can't be thinking about everyone back in Ledgerdomain all the time. You _have_ to focus on your training. It has to be us that goes back, there's nobody else who will help."

"There's nobody _else? _Uncle!" Charmcaster stood up suddenly and looked at Hex as if he had three heads. "There's nobody else because you never bothered to _ask!_" She pointed towards the door. "There are people out there, right next door, with _real power_. Different power, that Adwaita probably doesn't expect. And they're heroes, people who relentlessly lay down their lives just to keep others from harm."

Charmcaster struggled to contain her fury. "And you never thought – just _once_ – that maybe you could _ask for their help?_" She raised her hands up. "There have been Plumbers on this planet for over a hundred years! You didn't need to wait fifteen years. You could have asked for help right away." She lowered her hands slowly and stared at her Uncle. "Or were you just too proud to do that?"

"These people are not like us," said Hex. "They can't understand."

Charmcaster shook her head. "No, Uncle. I think they understand better than you." She turned towards the door and grabbed the handle, then hesitated. "My parents," she said simply.

"They bought us time to escape Ledgerdomain," said Hex.

"Just _us_?" asked Charmcaster.

Hex looked away and hesitated to speak. "Your... father was being foolish. There were too many. He couldn't possibly hold open the door that long and if he screwed up then Adwaita would just follow." He looked back. "Only the best of us needed to go. After that, I had to close the portal."

Charmcaster clenched her fists and shook with rage. She slowly let go of the door handle and turned back towards her Uncle.

"You're going to tell me everything you know about Brozz," she said. "And you're going to do it _now_."

**- (X) -**

Phil leaned against the wall as the combined stares of two retired Plumbers in hospital beds and their successors were directed at him. He just looked away and made a "Pfft" sound.

"Phil," started Max.

"Listen, I know we had an issue a few years back, but I've learned my lesson," said Phil holding up his hands. "I admit I hated you for a while, but this Brozz thing is a big deal. I'm willing to ... put it to rest. I have no interest in doing anything at all that might get me sent back to the Null Void. _Believe me_."

"I'd like to," said Max. "But it's them you've got to convince."

"Kids—" started Phil but he was cut off.

"We're Plumbers now," said Ben curtly. "Not kids."

Phil sighed. "I'm sorry." He hesitated. "For everything. But you got me, I served time, and now I'm out and-"

"You broke out," pointed out Gwen.

"Technically, Paradox broke us out," said Phil. "But I get your point. Listen, I ... admit to having had a skewed view of things for a while. A long while. Pretty much up until last week. But what Paradox showed me... how the Plumbers evolved on Earth over the last 150 years... I kind of feel like I really _did_ betray that legacy. And I'm... I feel guilty about it." He looked away. This was not the kind of things he was used to saying and he wasn't sure how much to express.

"A hundred and fifty years?" asked Wes Green from the other hospital bed in the room. "I thought ... well, I knew there was a Plumber presence—"

"Not just a presence," said Phil. "A full installation, buried beneath Mount Rushmore. Sound familiar?"

"That empty facility?" asked Max. "The president gave it to us but he didn't know what it was originally for."

"It was for us," said Phil. He motioned to the whole room. "All of us. The Plumbers had it made to store alien tech." He looked at Max. "One Plumber specifically: your father."

Max's mouth hung open. "_What_?"

"He was a Plumber too, Max," Phil said softly. "As was his father, and his aunt, and her father. It runs in your family." He half-smiled as he looked to Ben and Gwen. "As you can already see."

"How could they hide this from us?" asked Max.

"Honestly, I don't think many knew," said Phil. "Although Azmuth and Mylene definitely did, which answers a _heck_ of a lot of questions about how you so quickly became their favorite." He crossed his arms. "I used to be jealous about _that_ too. Now... they were honoring your father."

"How does this 'Brozz' enter into all that?" asked Julie.

Phil sighed. "That's a really long story. But the short of it is this: he hates your family, Max. Has for generations. Blames them for some slight back in the eighteen hundreds. He's out to end your family line in any way possible. And it looks like, based on what you told me, he's decided to just do it all in one go."

"Destroy the planet," said Gwen.

"Yeah," nodded Phil. "The problem is he's a devil of beast to stop. He's a Chamatronian, so anything you throw at him he eventually adapts to and - if you're really unlucky - he learns how to copy. Though we may have stumbled onto something he has a problem adapting to."

"What?" asked Kevin.

"Magic," said Charmcaster from the doorway. She walked slowly into the room and closed the door behind her. "He has a problem with my magic."

"He didn't seem too fazed by mine," said Gwen, suspiciously looking at Charmcaster.

"Were you really using magic, or just your mana manipulation powers?" asked Charmcaster pointedly. "This is one area where your Anodite heritage may get in your way."

"What do you mean?" asked Gwen.

"Paradox drew a distinction between what I can do and what Anodites can do," said Charmcaster. "There's something... different about arcane magic that Brozz is vulnerable to. I think."

"You think?" asked Gwen with an arched brow.

"It's not like I had an Anodite handy to test it!" snapped Charmcaster. "But my magic kept him sealed for millions of years. It _would_ have kept him contained for millions more if someone _else_ with similar arcane magic hadn't removed the seals."

"Hex," said Gwen.

"Unfortunately, yes," said Charmcaster. "He was a fool. He had no idea what he was unleashing."

"What do you mean, 'millions of years'?" asked Kai. "That's the part I don't understand. If Brozz was sealed in the forties, and that ... machine became Painted Rock, what happened to the original Painted Rock? Why did they put it there, of all places?"

"There was no 'original' Painted Rock," said Charmcaster. "It was always the containment vessel."

Ben stared blankly at Charmcaster. "How is that possible?"

"Time travel," said Charmcaster. "Brozz has Paradox's powers now."

"How?" asked Gwen.

Charmcaster reached into her pouch. "Paradox knew something was wrong in time, and brought us to the point where Brozz was sealed up in that containment vessel. He sent us to help capture him, but stayed out of the battle. When Phil and I went back to where we left him, all we found were these." She pulled Paradox's lab coat, goggles, pocketwatch, and bag of gumballs out of her pouch. "Next to a pile of bone dust."

Ben, Gwen, and Kevin looked at the pile with varying degrees of horror.

"He's... dead?" asked Gwen.

"Sure seems like it," said Charmcaster. "And if what you saw is right, that confirms what happened. Brozz used Paradox's powers to come here and free himself, then sent his younger self back to 1944 to get Paradox's powers."

"An _actual_ paradox," said Phil. "He freed himself with powers he only got by being freed. It's no wonder the professor was so unnerved."

"That still doesn't explain how the containment vessel became Painted Rock," said Kai.

"Uncle filled me in on that bit," said Charmcaster. "After I flung the containment vessel into space, it passed through a chronotron wormhole that sent it into the distant past. Brozz used Paradox's powers to catch it and throw back at Earth where it landed in the early Jurassic. But he couldn't open it until there was a capable magician to release the seals and he figured out where it landed."

"He needed you to arrive," said Gwen.

"Any magician, really. You probably could have done it, or my Uncle, as it turned out," said Charmcaster.

"So what's next?" asked Kevin. "Now that he's free and finished the loop. What does he do now?"

"I think we're back on destroying the Earth," said Phil. "Beats me on how, though. He's probably strong enough to snuff out the sun at this point."

"And how do we stop him?" asked Gwen. "Can we build another containment vessel?"

"Sorry," said Phil. "It took Azmuth years to construct the original. I doubt we have the time."

"Didn't you show up in a time machine?" asked Julie.

"Only goes one way: forward," said Charmcaster. "Despite the fact that we were travelling _with Paradox _Azmuth refused to give us anything else." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm surprised he had a design on hand," said Phil, scratching his chin.

"Forwards is easy, backwards is hard," said Wes. "At least, I recall Azmuth saying something like that back in the day."

Max sighed. "If he really does have Paradox's abilities, then tracking him will be impossible. The only thing we can do is keep an eye out for when he emerges again."

"Assuming it's not already too late," said Ben.

"We have to believe he has some limits," said Max. "Or he would have destroyed the Earth ages ago. No, what happened last night HAD to happen when it happened or it wouldn't have, which means we're back on real time. Brozz can only do things from here to the future, which means we're on level footing."

"Except for his massive power and ability to adapt to our attacks," said Kevin. "But, you know, besides _that_: even footing."

Gwen punched him in the arm.

"Grandpa's right," said Ben. "We know what he wants, just not how he's going to do it. So we have to run down every possibility we can think of and check it out." He looked around with a smile but nobody was smiling back. "Right, Gwen?" he said, falling on his cousin to help.

Gwen didn't move, she looked lost in thought and had her hand to her chin.

"Gwen?"

Gwen looked up. "Huh? Oh, right. Yes." She nodded.

Ben stared at her for a second then turned back to the rest of the room. "So, let's start on that. Kai, check the news. Kevin, see if any of your contacts are awake. Charmcaster and Gwen, you two see if there are any spells to help. Julie, Phil, we're going to go see if Plumber Central Command has heard anything."

"Ah, I don't know if it's a good idea for me to be interacting with any active duty Plumbers," said Phil.

"As far as they know you broke out of the Null Void," said Ben. "If you don't want to be chased by them forever, they're going to have to know you're working with me and Grandpa."

Max laughed quietly. "He's right, Phil."

"Ugh," groaned Phil, and then nodded. "Fine."

"Grandpa," started Ben. He hesitated for a moment. "Get better."

"Roger," said Max with a salute and a smile.

"Let's move," said Ben.

**- (X) -**

Outside of Max and Wes' hospital room, Charmcaster gently tapped Gwen's shoulder. "Can we talk?"

Gwen arched a brow at the girl but nodded. They started to walk down the hall towards one of the bank of elevators when Charmcaster stopped, turned and pointed behind Gwen.

"Not you," she said brusquely.

"Hey, I don't trust you—" started Kevin but he was cut off.

"Its fine, Kevin," said Gwen. "I can handle myself."

Kevin frowned. "Just because something _can_ be done, doesn't mean it has to be."

"Don't worry," said Gwen said as she turned to follow Charmcaster away.

The two witches entered the elevator and Charmcaster pressed the button for the top floor. Gwen noted the unexpected selection but continued to remain silent, wondering where this was going.

A few minutes later the two were heading up a service staircase and – after a quiet spell by Charmcaster on the lock – stepping out onto the roof of the hospital. The door swung closed with a loud slam and the two stared at one another.

"This is dramatic," Gwen pointed out.

"I don't like eavesdroppers," said Charmcaster quickly.

Gwen rubbed her arms and shrugged. "So, what are we going to do? See who's better once and for all? Shall we use golems or direct attacks? Do we want to set rules on teleporting?"

Charmcaster looked down and idly kicked the gravel on the roof around. "You really piss me off."

"Believe me, the feeling's mutual," said Gwen.

Charmcaster looked up and glared. "What right do you have to be so good at _my_ thing?"

"Magic is not 'your' thing," said Gwen. "It's part of my heritage."

"I don't care!" yelled Charmcaster. "This was it for me! The only thing that set me apart. I'm not terribly pretty or strong or smart or ... or whatever! But I had _the_ _gift_. I had talent. I could do _magic_. And that made me feared at home."

The purple witch turned her back to Gwen and looked again to the stars. "It was terrible," she said softly. "Nobody _wants_ to be hated. But it's better to be hated than _forgotten_."

Gwen's frown slowly faded. This was not at all the conversation she expected.

"Where I come from," continued Charmcaster. "Mana is everywhere. Being able to manipulate it, to _subvert_ it... it's an aberration. A deformity. Nobody wants to touch you; to deal with you. You're the enemy. The boogeyman at night."

"Then we came here, to Earth," she said. "And I wasn't feared, or hated. I was nobody. Just another child with strange hair. It was _worse_. I don't want to be nobody. But I don't want to be _hated_ all the time, either." She shook her head. "Uncle Hex told me I could be the best spell caster that ever lived. Now _there_ was something to be. Admired. Awed. I _wanted _it."

She turned again and looked back at Gwen. The redhead's eyes widened in surprise. There were tears on Charmcaster's cheeks.

"But as soon as I got good, _you_ showed up," Charmcaster said. "You just _stumbled_ into power and ran circles around me." Her hands clenched into fists. "I didn't even get my moment. I didn't even have a _chance_ to feel special in way that wasn't about hate! You stole it from me! You took _the only thing that mattered_!"

Charmcaster rubbed the tears from her eyes and scowled.

"I..." started Gwen, all traces of anger had fled her. "I didn't know. I had no idea—"

"I _know_ that!" snapped Charmcaster quickly. "I'm not a kid anymore, of course I know that. I was breaking my Uncle out of jail, of course you tried to stop me. You had no idea what that meant to me. That saving my Uncle was my test to show I was finally his equal." She breathed deeply. "I admit I didn't always understand, but I have known for a while."

"Then why—" started Gwen but she stopped. In a way, she already knew the answer to what she was going to ask.

"Because at least I was still _special_, that's why," said Charmcaster, answering the unspoken question. "If I couldn't be the best, at least I could be hated by her."

Gwen signed and shook her head. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

Charmcaster grit her teeth. "Because your universe hates me. Because I can't even have _that_ bit of specialness anymore. And I want you to know - to _understand_ - what it means for me to ask you this, so you don't come back at me with stupid questions about schemes, or trust, or betrayal."

"Ask me what?" said Gwen softly.

Charmcaster closed her eyes. "I need your help," she said so quietly it could barely be heard over the breeze.

"With what?"

Charmcaster looked at her feet. "My world... where I come from... is called Ledgerdomain. It's been conquered by a powerful monster called Adwaita. He's been ruling there for the last fifteen years." She looked up. "I need your help to free m y people from him."

"_My_ help?" said Gwen.

"And Ben, and Kevin and... anyone," said Charmcaster. "My people have suffered too long as it is."

Gwen found herself mouthing dozens of questions she could ask but couldn't find the nerve to voice. "Now?" was all that she managed.

"We can deal with Brozz first," said Charmcaster. "But... not much longer afterwards."

Gwen swallowed as she tried to turn the situation over in her mind, trying to view it objectively. She couldn't. She felt helplessly in the middle of it, not the least bit because it wasn't hard at all for her to imagine what it was like to be overshadowed by others because of luck. To try so hard to persevere anyway, to try and outperform talent with hard work only just to come up short every time.

No, Gwen knew exactly what it was like. "I'm sorry for ... what happened," she said feebly.

"Don't be," Charmcaster said. "You were only doing what was right."

Gwen placed her hand on her chest. "I'll help you, in any way I can. Even if nobody else will, I'll help you."

Charmcaster stared blankly. It wasn't hate, or joy, or anything she was showing her. Perhaps she was simply unsure what to do. Perhaps she was afraid to feel anything. "Thanks."

The wind blew coolly across the rooftop, sending a chill down the spines of both girls as they stood, facing off. Neither could be sure what was supposed to come next. Nothing had prepared either of them for the way their rivalry would turn.

"Can I see Paradox's watch?" Gwen suddenly asked.

Charmcaster blinked at the random request but quickly recovered. "Sure, I guess, what for?" She pulled the brass covered watch from her pouch and tossed it to her rival.

Gwen held out her hand and caught the watch in a purple sphere.e Her Her eyes began to glow purple as she stared at it. "I can usually trace the energies of an object back to its owner."

"He's dead, Gwen," said Charmcaster simply.

"I believe you," said Gwen. "But if Brozz really did duplicate him, down to the exact energy pattern, then it's possible I can still follow Paradox's trail to him."

"That still doesn't tell us how to beat him," Charmcaster said wryly.

"One problem at a time," said Gwen. She concentrated and felt the tendrils of energy extend out from the watch, swirling around them momentarily before shooting straight up into the sky. She and Charmcaster looked up immediately.

"My word, this is a troubling development," came a voice from above. Professor Paradox was standing – somehow – in mid air, about twenty feet above the rooftop. His eyes met those of Gwen and then slowly descended to stand on the roof with the two spellcasters.

"Professor Paradox!" said Gwen, in shock.

"Excuse me?" said Paradox, with a raised brow. "Who?"

Charmcaster looked equally dumbfounded, then she frowned and held up her hands. "Brozz," she spat angrily.

Paradox turned to look at Charmcaster now. "Who is this now?" He looked back and forth. "Dear me, I seem to be here out of sequence."

"Who... who are you?" asked Gwen. She had her guard up but was holding back on attacking just yet.

"I'm ... well, honestly I forget, but I'm sure it was very respectable name," said Paradox. "You can just call me 'Doctor,' I am fairly certain I had one. In any case, I was just curious about what you have there." He pointed at the pocketwatch still hanging in mid-air.

"Your watch?" asked Gwen, frowning.

"Yes, indeed." He nodded, then reached into the pocket of his lab coat. "Especially because I still _have_ my watch." He held out an identical brass pocketwatch for the girls to see.

Gwen pieced everything together. "You're a younger version of Para—of the Doctor that we know," she concluded, and finally dropped her guard.

"It does appear to be the case," nodded Paradox. "Though I shudder to think how it is you came to be in possession of my property."

Gwen looked uncomfortably away.

"I see," said Paradox with a sigh. "That certainly leaves an empty taste in one's mouth."

Charmcaster frowned and then reached into her pouch again. "Have a gumball," she said, then tossed the bag to the professor. "Have them all, in fact."

Paradox examined the bag curiously, then removed a blue gumball and began chewing it with pleasant sounds. He slipped the bag into his coat pockets. "Thank you, my dear, I will have to repay the favor someday. Still, it is probably best that I be along. There is still one mystery left in my life and I'd just as soon leave it as such." He nodded cordially to the two girls. "I'll see you again."

"Wait," Charmcaster called out. "Do you... know me?"

"I know everyone, to a degree," said Paradox. "I imagine that a future version of myself must know you better than I do now, since you're asking."

"You said to me... once, that if I helped this girl and her friends that I would be 'free'... of all binds except those I made myself." Charmcaster struggled to speak diplomatically with the time walker. She wasn't sure how much she should be hiding from someone who'd seen both the past and the future. "What did that mean? What are the binds that I make myself?"

"Habits, my dear," said Paradox. "The binds we forge are those that undeniable control our fate but are of our own doing. Of course, 'habits' has such a negative connotation, they are not always such a burden. The bonds of familial dependency become habits over time, but frequently are very rewarding. As are those of friendship. Though, just as easily we create binds of enmity, which can blind us to the good that our adversaries can do."

Charmcaster looked to Gwen and frowned. "That's it?"

"That's my interpretation," said Paradox. "Though if I were you, I would focus more on those binds _not_ forged by your hands."

"I already know about those," dismissed Charmcaster.

"Do you?" asked Paradox with a raised brow. He looked once again at Gwen then back at Charcmaster. He put his hands in his pockets casually. "Since you two appear to possess a modicum of wisdom, I shall impart upon you a little more that I have only recently learned. As the – slightly inaccurate – saying goes, a shark must forever swim forward or else it will drown. So too must a time walker progress ever onward or risk destruction between the ticks of a clock. The changes wrought by our actions are always on our heels, threatening to overtake and rewrite us."

"Is that why you rarely do anything yourself and just tell other people how to fix things?" asked Gwen dryly.

"Indeed it would be," nodded Paradox. "But it is important to understand what it is that time does not like, for it is not action that change hates: it is memory."

"Memory?" asked Charmcaster.

"Memory of a universe that no longer exists: that world which was destroyed when a time walker effects a change."

"Time hates people remembering when things went differently?" asked Gwen. She was more than a little skeptical of that. She remembered when Paradox himself had allowed her to change time and she still recalled those doomed timelines she created.

"Of course," said Paradox as if it were obvious. "Wouldn't you try to keep people from remembering your mistakes?"

"Time is alive?" asked Charmcaster.

"Of course not," laughed Paradox.

Gwen and Charmcaster both stared at Paradox with disbelieving looks on their faces.

"I have no idea what to do with this 'wisdom,'" said Charmcaster.

"Give it time," he said. Then, with a flash of multicolored light, Paradox vanished.

**- (X) -**


	8. Chapter 7 Julie Picks A Fight

**Chapter 7 – Julie Picks a Fight**

_July 10th, 2010_

_Marian Medical Center_

_Santa Maria, California_

**- (X)-**

Julie looked around the parking lot of the medical center at early morning, carefully walking between the rows of cars and occasionally hopping to see over the roofs. She walked one more row forward and peered behind a row of SUV's.

"Ben?" she called out again. She'd followed a vaguely Ben-like blur out of the hospital a few minutes earlier but had lost him while exiting the lobby. She couldn't see him anywhere on the large fields surrounding the hospital campus so she assumed he was somewhere in the parking lot. Though given his Ultimatrix, she could be looking for anything as small as Grey Matter or as big as... well, Way Big.

"Over here," came a gruff voice from around the back of a panel van. Given the timber of his voice, Julie had an idea of what had happened. She followed the summons one row further back.

"Ben," said Julie as she came across Benwolf sitting on the back bumper of a van looking out at the rising sun.

"Sorry," Benwolf said. "I've been trying to change back but something is stopping me. I thought getting further away might help, but it hasn't yet."

Julie sat down next to Benwolf. "Getting away from what?"

"I... don't know," admitted Benwolf. "Whatever it is that's making this happen."

"You think it's in the hospital?" asked Julie.

"It must be, it feels... less intense out here, but still enough to screw with the Ultimatrix." Benwolf sighed. "Someone must be carrying something that's doing it, but I can't figure out why it stopped for a while."

"Maybe you overcame it because of the battle," said Julie. "And now you just don't have enough motivation."

"Strength of will?" asked Benwolf. "I don't know, I think when Brozz first appeared I was way more motivated to change into something other than Benwolf than when we were lying beaten on the grass." He shook his head. "I just can't figure it out."

Julie paused and thought back over the last few days. It had started before coming to Painted Rock, so the containment vessel probably had nothing to do with it. Not to mention it was still there and working when Ben finally was able to turn into Four Arms. No, it was before that, when they were still in Bellwood right before Kai and her Uncle—

"Kai is causing it," said Julie, feeling stupid for not realizing it before. After Benwolf went all puppy-dog around her, she should have immediately put two and two together, but her anger always got in the way of logical thinking... not that she'd admit as much to anyone.

"What?" asked Ben. "It started before she showed up. And she was with us during the battle."

Julie shook her head, getting more confident by the moment. "No, Gwen sent her away with your Grandpa Max. She was gone when you finally transformed."

"Not far, though," said Ben. "She was still closer than when this all started."

Julie paused to consider that point, but it didn't affect her conclusion. "Maybe she's somehow controlling it, but it's too much of a coincidence to discard. She's the only new element."

Benwolf looked skeptically at Julie. "Are you sure you aren't just jealous?"

Julie felt her anger flare up again but she forced herself to ignore it. It was just ... impossible that Ben could be such an idiot when it came to her. Just because she lost her cool every now and then when she was angry, did not mean she spent all her time reacting irrationally to new people.

"No, Ben," Julie said with as much cool as she could muster. "I am not jealous. It makes sense."

"Except the parts that don't," pointed out Benwolf.

"Do _you_ have a better idea?" asked Julie hotly. She was struggling to contain her frustration now. She needed to quickly reach the end of the conversation or it would result in her storming off and probably doing something stupid. "Something Kai has or is doing is causing you to be stuck on Benwolf, and I think the best to find out what is to ask her."

"I don't know—" started Benwolf.

"Okay, I don't _think_ it's the best course, I _know_ it is, okay?" said Julie. "Let's go talk to her and find out."

"Like this?" asked Benwolf, looking down at himself.

Julie stood up. "Unless you can figure out how to revert, yes. We can't wait around forever, and who knows when Brozz will show up again." She turned and started heading back to the hospital.

"Julie!" she could hear Ben calling from behind her, but she kept walking. Ben could be the most obtuse person in the world, but she knew how to get him walking. She lamented that such a combination of heroism and determination could be so plainly smothered by ego and bravado.

Then again, she really wished her own brain wouldn't fritz out on her every time Ben made her angry. She knew they both had their issues to work out and – against all reason – they seem to have become good influences on each other. She just chose to believe Ben's issues were more crippling than hers.

Ben had to be worse than her at something other than schoolwork, right?

**- (X)-**

Kai looked a little sheepish under the combined staring of Julie and Benwolf as they were in the hospital room with Wes Green and Grandpa Max. Occasionally a nurse would peer in the room suspiciously and eventually conclude that whatever was happening, they shouldn't get involved. It was one thing to know _about_ Ben 10 and his amazing abilities, it was another thing altogether to actually witness a giant walking wolf in a tank top walk into a hospital and visit a patient.

Kevin was nearby, ostensibly not part of the conversation, but periodically looking up from his magazine to listen and adding to the mounting staring pressure.

"Me?" asked Kai quietly.

"You or something you have on you," said Julie. She was leading this conversation because she didn't trust Ben put the pressure on Kai. Not to mention, if she _was_ causing the problem, then Ben could potentially have been influenced by her. This wouldn't be the case for Julie.

_No_, a small voice in her mind chirped up. _You're only influenced by your desire to retain control of Ben. That's MUCH more sane._

Julie ignored the thought and continued her stare.

"How?" asked Kai, sounding genuinely confused.

Grandpa Max cleared his throat a little before speaking. "It does make a little bit of sense," he said. "If Julie is right, this started when you were on your way to Bellview. Possibly when you arrived there."

"But I don't know why," said Kai. "I don't even know how I would _do_ such a thing."

"Did you get anything new recently?" asked Benwolf. "An artifact or piece of technology you just started carrying around recently?"

"How recently?" asked Kai. "I haven't seen you in years. You mean, anything I got during that time?"

Benwolf looked helplessly toward Julie.

"Let's consider within the last week or so," said Julie, diplomatically.

"Within the last week..." Kai mused. "I got a new tattoo, I guess."

"What?" Wes Green sat up in his hospital bed, then winced slightly.

"Uh, sorry Grandpa," said Kai, looking out of the corner of her eye. "I was going to tell you."

"Can we see?" asked Ben.

"No!" Kai said suddenly, then blushed slightly. "I mean, I can't. It's... in a... it's private."

Julie put her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes.

Ben frowned. "What do mean, it's private?" he asked.

"Good grief," said Julie. "Just... was anything different? Strange? Glowing ink, or weird devices? Did you walk away with an alien clinging to your back?"

Kai stared. "Nobody's told me if I have." She looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "I don't think anything was different. It hurt way more than I was expecting, but given where it... is ... I'm not surprised."

"Where is it?" asked Benwolf, still apparently confused. Kai looked embarrassingly away.

"Stop asking questions, Ben," said Julie, hoping to curtail more of these distractions. It did no good to push Kai into a humiliated ball when they needed answers. "So, nothing else? Just painful, but nothing else weird?"

"Nothing I can think of," said Kai, still looking away.

Julie sighed. She wasn't sure how to narrow this down short of tracing back Kai's steps to see if something alien appeared. She wasn't even the expert in alien things, that was Ben, Kevin, and Gwen. If something did look weird, would she be able to tell the difference between a human-weird thing and an alien-weird thing?

"What about your parents?" asked Kevin, his nose still in his magazine. The rest of the room turned towards him. "You told me you're half-alien."

"You're half alien?" asked Benwolf, surprised.

"Yeah," admitted Kai. "It doesn't show. Like you, I guess." She looked up at Benwolf. "Well, except for right now. Anyway, I don't have any abilities so I don't see-"

"What were your parents?" asked Kevin.

"I told you before, I don't know," said Kai. She turned to the hospital bed behind her. "Grandpa?"

Wes Green closed his eyes and sighed deeply. A very stern look crossed his face.

"Your mother was a Petrastill," said Max. Wes looked up suddenly and gave his old Plumber partner an angry look. Max noticed. "Don't be like that, Wes. Liwanu was a good man."

"Who abandoned his daughter," growled Wes.

"_Placed_ his daughter in your care," said Max. "And went to protect his wife."

"And then vanished for all eternity," spat Wes.

Julie was shocked at the anger the mild mannered old man was showing, having seen nothing close to this level of emotion from him during the whole trip. She looked to Kai and saw a mixture of shock and pain cross her face. Julie presumed she wasn't comfortable hearing her parents being spoken of this way any more than Julie was.

"Grandpa," started Kai.

Wes seemed to suddenly realize Kai was right next to him because he instantly widened his eyes and then seemed to calm slightly. "I'm sorry, Kai," he said. "I'm just..." He sighed again. "Your mother was running from some dangerous people. If they found her here with you they'd have—well, they wouldn't have been kind."

Kai seemed shocked by this revelation. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out.

"The Petrastill are fighting a war for equality," said Max. "They have been for many years now. Most of the population suffers indentured servitude to the elite class, and those who rebel – like your mother did – are hunted down with extreme prejudice."

"That's awful," said Benwolf. It was hard to read his expressions in this form, but he looked horrified with his brow slightly creased and his jaw hanging open. "Why haven't the Plumbers done anything about it?"

"We can't rush in to every planet with a civil issue, Ben," said Max. "Lots of planets have real social problems to resolve but if the Plumbers got involved in _all_ of them there wouldn't be anyone left over to deal with rampaging criminals or warlords conquering other planets. Besides, what right would we have to tell a planet what the right way is to treat their people?"

"Slavery is wrong," said Julie, resolutely. She couldn't believe Max could recite details of this planet from memory but hadn't ever done anything about it. "That's obvious."

"I don't necessarily disagree," said Max. "But there are still limits to the Plumbers' power. There must be or we become no different than the criminals we've been charged to apprehend. We do what we can for those who fall into our care, but if we were to actively try to help the Petrastill, it would most certainly start an interstellar war. And that would still be ignoring the fact that we don't have a _right_ to change a planet that hasn't asked for our help."

"What does it take?" asked Julie. "Kai's mother was here, she must have asked for help. How many people have to flee in terror before you do something?" This was making her angry again for a whole different reason.

"It's a fine line, I'll admit," said Max. "And it's honestly a question far above my ability to answer. The Plumbers have a leadership, a Central Command, led by the Chairman, to make those decisions for the Plumbers at large. Even as a Magister my authority is limited to Earth, so I've always just focused on what I could do from here. Perhaps to some detriment, but I've never felt guilty because I've never turned away a request for help."

"Unless it was from a planet," said Julie angrily.

Max responded to her anger with a sad but kind smile. "I'm sorry, Julie. I wish the universe was simple. I'd like nothing more than to have a satisfying answer for you, but I don't have one. Some people are helped, and some are not, and sometimes... it' just not fair."

Julie grumbled, but realized there was nothing more to gained by arguing. She wasn't done with it, not by a long shot, but there were _unfortunately_ other more urgent things to worry about.

_See?_ That small voice in her head said. _That's the decision Max made every time._

"So what are Petrastills?" asked Benwolf.

"Silver skinned energy controllers," said Kevin, finally putting down his magazine and getting up out of his chair. Julie's temper flared again as she realized that Kevin must have known about this planet _too_ and never said anything. "They have the ability to neutralize any violent energy reaction. I once saw a dozen of them or so keeping the energy core of a massive pirate star cruiser from going nova."

"Not just neutralize," said Wes Green. "Stabilize. The core of their world is constantly undergoing geomagnetic reversal and much of the worker class is employed in keeping the reversal from happening, due to the catastrophic effect it would have on their ecosystem."

"They keep the planet from being destroyed?" asked Benwolf.

"Not from being destroyed, but from a change that would make it hard to support their people," said Wes.

"And as thanks for that, they're enslaved," said Julie flatly.

"Stabilizing violent energy reactions," said Benwolf idly. He looked down at the Ultimatrix symbol on his chest. "The codon stream is a pretty high energy change. It might be affected by your ability."

"But ... I can't do that," said Kai. "At all, I mean. I've never had _any_ abilities."

"Have you ever tested that?" asked Kevin.

"How could I?" asked Kai, a little flustered. "If I'm doing this I don't even know how!"

"It's probably subconscious," said Kevin. "Your abilities could be latching onto something else you've been thinking about."

"What do you mean?" asked Kai.

"Well, how much have you been thinking about Ben lately?" asked Julie with an arched brow.

Kai looked at Julie and frowned slightly.

"What about Benwolf?" asked Kevin.

Kai swallowed. "Some."

Julie sighed.

"Really? Why?" asked Benwolf.

Julie punched him in the arm.

"Hey! What gives?"

"Try to imagine yourself letting Benwolf go," interrupted Kevin. He walked right up to Kai and stood in front of her. "Picture him like a butterfly in between your palms and then just open them up and release him."

Kai looked a little worried but slowly nodded and closed her eyes. "Like a butterfly being released," she repeated softly.

Benwolf suddenly shifted back into Ben.

Kai opened her eyes and stared. "Woah."

"Well, that answers that," said Kevin. He turned and headed back to his chair and magazine.

Julie stared at Kevin. "How did you know what to do?"

"I've had practice," said Kevin. "And a pretty slick teacher."

"Who?" asked Ben, a little surprised.

"Someone I knew in the Null Void," said Kevin. He looked distant for a moment. "He's gone now." He then shook his head and looked back down at his magazine.

Kai was staring at her hands in disbelief. "I'm ... an alien now?"

"Technically you always were," said Ben.

"But... I mean, I have a... a power."

Ben smiled uneasily. "Yeah, just try to not to use it on me anymore."

Kai lifted her head, her eyes bright with possibility.

"Oh, no," said Ben.

"What was that alien you were during the fight?" asked Kai energetically. "Four Arms you called him?"

"Yeah, bu—"

The rush of change flooded over Ben. He looked down and realized he was taller, muscular, had red skin, and four arms.

"Kai," Four Arms said warningly.

"Wicked!" cheered Kai. She looked at her hands with a broad smile. Then she pointed her finger like a gun at Four Arms. "Ha!" The wave of change turned him back into Benwolf.

"All right now," said Ben. "Please—"

"Wah!"

Now he was Four Arms.

"Kai—"

"Whoo!"

Regular Ben looked back, completely nonplussed. "Knock it off!"

"Pow!" shouted Kai as she pointed again, but this time there was no change. She looked at the tip of her finger. "Aww."

Ben pulled up his sleeve and looked at the Ultimatrix. The face dial was glowing red. "Well, she can't override the recharge cycle, apparently," he said. "Good to know." He looked at Kai. "Don't do that again."

Kai smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I just... I have a _power_!"

"We noticed," said Julie, devoid of humor.

"What power?"

Julie turned to see Gwen and Charmcaster walk in to the hospital room, looking more than a little tired. The bags under Gwen's eyes were particularly pronounced but Charmcaster didn't look very light in spirits either.

"Where have you two been all morning?" asked Kevin.

"Looking for Brozz," said Charmcaster. "Not with much luck. He's probably left this time and went forward."

"We think we have an idea of how to find him if he does emerge, though," said Gwen. "I can track him using the watch Paradox left behind whenever he's in that form. Assuming there isn't _another_ Paradox running around."

"Another Paradox?" asked Ben.

"From another time," said Gwen. "Since he's a time traveler, it's possible there could be more than one of him in different places at a given moment."

"We think," added Charmcaster hastily.

"We think," nodded Gwen.

"So we just sit on our hands until then?" asked Kevin.

"We still need a way to capture him," said Wes. "Perhaps we can contact Azmuth."

"Good luck with that," said Ben. "He's worse than Paradox when it comes to helping when you want him to."

"What other options do we have?" asked Julie.

"We could drop him into the sun," said Charmcaster.

"_Reasonable_ alternatives, please," said Gwen.

"What's so unreasonable about that?" asked Charmcaster, putting a hand on her hip. "Last time I was able to bind him near permanently into the containment vessel. We could then throw it into the sun where intense gravity would make sure he never gets out even if he survives."

"Except we don't have a containment vessel," said Kevin.

"And Central Command doesn't either," said Phil as he walked into the room with a grim look on his face. "They sent some schematics of what they think Azmuth built through the Plumber network but sixty years hasn't made this thing any easier to construct."

Kevin pulled his plumber badge out of his pocket and activated a holographic display. "Send them to me," he said.

Phil shrugged and pulled out a squared device with a green-tinted screen. He tapped on it three times, each time causing the device to emit a brief, melodic tone. A few seconds later a series of diagrams appeared on Kevin's display.

"Woah," said Kevin. "Titanium reinforced quantum reverberators, _level_ _fifteen _simitek transponders, _chinthium crystals!_" He shook his head. "Only Azmuth could causally build something like this."

"I'm guessing that means the parts are rare?" said Ben.

"Rare, expensive, and impossible to find in this quadrant of space," said Kevin. "Azmuth had to been working on this for years just to gather the materials."

"Over ten years," said Phil. "Jeffrey Tennyson first got in contact with Azmuth in 1937 and it took another four years to finalize the design. Then it took seven to build, to which they were in the process of completing when Brozz attacked."

"Part of that time had to be taken up by smuggling equipment to earth," said Wes. "You can't get third level tech here without Central Command oversight. Though I suppose Azmuth could pull strings."

"Not back then he couldn't," said Phil. "Despite his age, Azmuth didn't get involved with the Plumbers until about a hundred years ago. He was still just a brilliant scientist until he built the containment vessel and successfully captured Brozz. Until then, he would have to go through normal channels – which wouldn't allow even one of those parts." He shrugged. "Or, as you said, he could smuggle. I imagine Jeffrey or Xylene helped with that."

"If Tennyson did, I'm impressed," said Kevin. "I consider myself quite resourceful but I don't think I could even get a Chinthium Crystal off the homeworld."

Max and Gwen frowned at Kevin.

"You know, back when I was a smuggler, and not... uh, a Plumber myself." Kevin swallowed, looking particularly unnerved by Gwen's glare.

"Anything else Command tell you?" asked Max, eyeing Phil.

"Uh, well, they're not too thrilled about either of us being jailbroken," started Phil. He motioned towards Charmcaster to his left. "But they've placed us on probation regardless. They 'reminded me' that I'm not allowed to call myself a Plumber under any circumstances either." He looked depressed.

"You're not a Plumber," said Gwen. "That should be obvious."

"I used to be!" said Phil, defensively. "And I... uh, I sorta regret what I did."

"'Sorta'?" asked Gwen.

Phil frowned. "Hey, it's not like I had the whole story, either. He told me the Earth Plumbers were disbanded!" He pointed at Max.

"They were," said Max.

"Yeah, right, and there were _no_ opportunities for transfer?" Phil rolled his eyes. "Then once _you_ had a need for them, _you_ inducted _your_ grandson and his friends but never thought of old Phil."

"Hey, we weren't Plumbers until _after_ you started releasing criminals from the Null Void," said Ben. "And it wasn't Grandpa who made us Plumbers, it was Magister Gilhil."

"What?" said Phil, appearing to honestly be dumbstruck. "How can a Magister recruit Earth Plumbers?"

"The 'Earth Plumbers' we served _are_ still gone, Phil," said Max. "The US government formed their own Alien Contact Unit a few years back when activity began to spike before the DNAlien invasion, but our old group is gone. The galactic Plumbers are still around of course and always have been."

"_Semantics_," spat Phil. "An easy way to screw a _friend_ out of a job."

"We had no _right_ to be out there, Phil," said Max. "We aren't a space faring culture, not to the level that we should be interacting with the rest of the galaxy on even footing. The purpose of the Earth Plumbers was to keep Earth safe from other aliens until we fell under the 34-315 Protection Act, at which point coming here from other Level 3 or above cultures became illegal."

"_You're_ the one who decided that, Max," said Phil. "Not _us._ Maybe the government wanted to be free of our expensive division but that didn't mean we didn't have the right to try to move to another sector of space. Did it even occur to you that we didn't all _share_ you humble view of humanity?"

Max looked conflicted for a moment, but his look eventually hardened. "It still doesn't excuse what you did."

"_What I_—" started Phil then he threw his hands up in the air. "No, it _doesn't_ excuse it. You're right, about that. Except, I've already said that. I didn't make the right choice. I _did_ tarnish the noble legacy we started. I regret it, Max. I was wrong." He pointed his finger towards Max. "But my mistake doesn't erase yours. You didn't have the right to make that choice for me. I'm here now because I'm atoning for what I did. I'm just looking for a sign that you are too."

Phil spun on his heel and walk quickly out of the room, slamming the door open as he passed through it.

Max sighed and shook his head. "Phil, Phil, Phil." He looked up at Wes. "_You_ never felt that way, did you?"

Wes opened his mouth but then hesitated. "I had other things to occupy me at the time. And with Liwanu getting involved with an alien I knew I'd never be far from it. I don't know what I would have thought if I didn't have my son, though."

Max seemed to get older in that instant, his head subtly hung lower down, his shoulders hunched and he seemed just a little frailer to Julie's eyes.

"I don't disagree with you, old friend," added Wes. "We weren't ready to advance to that stage. We're _still_ not ready, though it looks like the choice has been taken from us." He looked towards the Ultimatrix on Ben's wrist. "Either way, you're not responsible for what Phil did."

"Maybe not," said Max. "But maybe I could have avoided it."

The room fell into silence for several minutes and Julie found it uncomfortable to look anyone in the eye directly. After five minutes of this, however, Charmcaster clearly got frustrated.

"I better go find him," said Charmcaster, breaking the silence. "He tends to get in trouble on his own." She nodded to Ben and Gwen and then headed for the door.

"I doubt that we can build this quick enough," said Kevin, having turned back to the schematics. "Even with Azmuth's help."

"Then we have to find another way of capturing him," said Ben. "Or... defeating him permanently."

Julie's eyes widened at the statement from Ben. He seemed very stern and unsettled at the same time. She'd never heard him even imply that they'd have to kill someone before. She wondered how much of that was simply because Ben hid much of his battles from her.

"I'll see if there are any spells that might help," said Gwen. "Something Charmcaster and I can do together that she couldn't do on her own."

"There might be some ancient stories out here on how to deal with Chamatronians," said Kevin. "I'll put the word out, see if anything turns up." He turned off the display on his Plumber's badge and slipped it back into his pocket.

"I'll keep trying with Azmuth," said Ben. "He usually comes around when the Earth is at stake."

"There are other technologically advanced Plumber races," said Max. "I'll see if any of them have any ideas. The Thermians are particularly ingenious once they have a model to follow. Maybe they can improve on Azmuth's design."

Ben, Gwen, and Kevin got up and left the room while Max pulled a circular communicator out of... somewhere. Julie and Kai looked at each other and shrugged.

"Want a coffee?" asked Julie.

"Sure," said Kai.


	9. Chapter 8 The Unsavory Plan

**Chapter 8 –The Unsavory Plan**

_July 11th, 2010_

_Bellwood, California_

**-(X)-**

Kai knocked on the door carefully and held her breath as the resident came to answer. He was tall and looked down at her with a perplexed expression.

"Ben's place is on the other side of town," said Kevin.

"I-I know," said Kai. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I wanted to come see you."

"Me? What for?" asked Kevin.

"Can I come in?"

Kevin arched a brow at the request but stepped back and motioned for Kai to enter. The younger girl walked in and then followed Kevin towards the kitchen where they sat at the breakfast nook.

"What is it?" said Kevin, once again getting right to the point.

"Don't you have, like, a mother you share this house with?" asked Kai, looking around.

"She's working," he said. "You're acting incredibly suspicious, though. What's going on?"

"Yesterday," started Kai slowly. "You said you had a good teacher. For your powers."

"That's right," said Kevin with a nod. "Kwarrel was his name."

"Was he an Osmosian?" asked Kai.

Kevin folded his arms and frowned. "No, he wasn't. I'm not sure where he was from, honestly. It didn't really matter at the time. I needed help and he knew what it took to help me."

"Where is he now?" Kai sounded hopeful.

"Dead," said Kevin curtly. "He died on Incarcecon."

"Oh," said Kai, deflating.

"What is this all about?" asked Kevin. "You sudden had a deep interest in my prison days?"

"I... I was hoping that someone could... you know," Kai gestured futility towards herself with her hands.

"Teach you," Kevin completed for her.

"Yeah," admitted Kai.

"I see," said Kevin. He shook his head. "Sorry. He's long gone."

Kai sighed. "What was he like?" she asked idly.

Kevin looked out of the window of the breakfast nook and towards the afternoon sky. "He was calm," he said. "The biggest brute you'd ever seen in your life but he didn't act like it. He kept his temper in check and took everything in stride. At least he did around me."

"What was he in for?" asked Kai.

"He never told me." Kevin shrugged. "Only said it was 'bad', and that he was in there for a good reason. Didn't seem like it though. I was a stupid brat and he went out of his way to help me. Even stalled the guards when I escaped."

Kai's eyes went wide. "So you're also a fugitive?"

"I _was_," said Kevin, stressing the last word sharply. "I'm a Plumber now. I don't belong in the Null Void anymore."

"Seems like a lot of people escape," said Kai.

"Less now than there used to be," said Kevin. "But, yeah, it's not a perfect prison. No place is. That's why constantly locking up Brozz isn't the answer. You put anyone in a bind they'll spend every waking hour trying to get free. It's ten times as bad when you're talking mimics like Osmosian and Chamatronians."

Kai studied Kevin carefully, enough that he began to shift uncomfortably in his chair.

"What is it?" asked Kevin.

"You seem really comfortable talking about this," said Kai.

Kevin glared. "Is that _really_ what you're taking away from this interrogation?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Kai looked away quickly. "I just wouldn't think that someone who spent time in there would be able to deal with putting people in there all the time."

"I don't have much of a choice do I?" asked Kevin. "I was put in there, I got out. I used to let my anger get the better of me and it landed me in more trouble than I could handle. So now I don't. I wasn't given another option."

"But you didn't have to join the Plumbers—" started Kai.

"Yeah, well," Kevin rolled his eyes then turned to the side. "Things happen. I wasn't offered a legit opportunity to be a mechanic, or race in the Turcroxian Leagues, as much as I would have wanted that. I _was_ offered a chance to be a Plumber. And, well, it was probably the best option for me in the long run anyway. Besides, my father was one; a good one, I'm told." He chewed on his lip for a minute. "I can't take back what I did as a stupid kid, but I can atone."

Kai looked closely at Kevin. He was frowning as he stared out the window, and seemed oddly sad.

"I hurt her once, you know," he said suddenly.

"Who?" asked Kai.

"Gwen," said Kevin slowly. "When I was still young. When we were still enemies. I wanted to get at Ben, but I would have used either Gwen or Max to get at him. I could have –" he stopped suddenly and blinked, as if he suddenly realized what he was doing. His expression slowly returned to netural and looked at Kai. "I still have bad days, but I was heading someplace terrible before I got control of myself. If I have to be constantly reminded of the place I was locked up for years to have that control... well, I'm okay with it. The alternative is much worse."

Kai was stunned that he considered such things and wondered again how hard it must be to live with so many regrets. She made a choice.

"Can you teach it to me?" asked Kai.

"Teach what?" asked Kevin.

"The control," said Kai.

"I don't see you blowing up things randomly." Kevin waved his hand. "What are you trying to control?"

Kai held up her hands and looked at them. "This power," she said. "I could have gotten Ben killed if I hadn't taken my mind off of him during that fight with Brozz. I want to learn how to use my ability."

"I don't know anything about Petrastill training," said Kevin.

"But you know about _control_," said Kai. "Isn't that what you said the power was? 'Stabilization of violent energy reactions' is how you described it. You said you met other Petrastills before."

"Briefly," stressed Kevin. "Behind glass. In a _pirate_ ship."

Kai shook her head. "My parents are gone," she said slowly. "I don't know where they are or even if they're still alive. I don't have anyone else to teach me this."

"I'm still probably not the best teacher," said Kevin, wringing his hands slowly.

"But you're the only one I know right now," said Kai. "And I want to try to help you all with Brozz."

Kevin sighed again. He looked at Kai with skepticism. "This could all go horribly wrong."

"We won't know unless we try?" offered Kai with a small smile.

Kevin seemed unconvinced. He studied his hands as he slowly ran his thumb over the tips of his fingers for several minutes. Kai began to think he'd gotten stuck in a look when he looked up again. "First you have to tell me something," he said. "What's your deal with Ben? You like him?"

"He doesn't seem interested," said Kai as her eyes widened.

"That's not what I asked." Kevin leaned forward. "Are _you_ interested in him?"

"I, uh..." Kai hedged.

"I'm not going to teach anybody who can't tell me the truth," said Kevin brusquely. He pointed a finger at her. "Your power has been interfering with the Ultimatrix for several days now and I imagine that takes more than simple fancy to do by accident. Do you like him?"

"Yeah, I guess," said Kai quietly.

"Why?"

She looked back with a blank expression. "What do you mean, 'why'? Why does anyone like anybody?"

Kevin growled slightly. "You haven't seen Ben in over six years, then you show up all Kathy Bates over him only three weeks after he becomes world famous?" He shook his head. "I don't buy it. Not without a good explanation."

Kai's was horrified. "You think I came here to leech off his fame?"

"I don't know," said Kevin. "I want you to tell me."

"I came here chasing Brozz, you _know_ that," said Kai, angrily.

"Something Wes could have done on his own," pointed out Kevin. "I'm sure he would have preferred you stay out of anything Plumber related."

Kai glared. "You just want me out of the way for Julie."

"I don't care who Ben dates," said Kevin, throwing his hands up in the air. He got up from the table and began to pace. "I care that you don't understand why you feel the way you feel and that's why it's going to be impossible to teach you the discipline you need to control your ability. You can't control the power you have unless you understand what causes it to move."

He pointed at his chest with his thumb. "I was reckless and selfish because I was afraid of losing something I wanted. Some of it had to do with my father dying and some of it was the effects of energy addition my species has. I _had_ to understand and give some of my potential to control my absorption abilities. There was no other way to teach me."

He looked distantly at the light hanging above the table. "An Osmosian is never stronger than when he's absorbed the energy of other species. But the power comes with a terrible madness that can't be controlled. It's _not_ an option I can ever consider. I have to live knowing that I _could_ easily be stronger but _can't_ be without turning on my friends."

He shook his head then shrugged. "I don't know what your deal is, but Ben clearly is the focus of it right now. If you want more control, we have to understand what caused it and how to move it onto something a little less destructive."

"Destructive?" asked Kai.

"Did you come here to break up Julie and Ben?" Kevin said pointedly.

"N-no," replied Kai after a second's hesitation, though she still wasn't sure.

"Then you gotta pick something else to focus on or that's what you're going to do to him," said Kevin. "You gotta at least understand that." Kai wasn't sure she _had_ to understand anything, but she nodded all the same.

Kevin looked at her intensely for a minute, then looked up at the light again above the table. "I'll give it a try, but I won't promise you anything. First, turn off this light."

Kai blinked, then stood up and walked over to a nearby light switch and flipped it off.

Kevin stared at her blankly. "_With your ability_."

Kai blushed. "Oh, we're starting now? We're starting now. Okay. I'm sorry."

**-(X)-**

Gwen and Charmcaster walked slowly through the large library in Hex's mansion, their eyes tracking the bindings of the books. This was their third time through the massive library and already they had four books each in their hands as 'potentials.'

"He doesn't keep a card catalog or anything?" asked Gwen lightly.

"No," Charmcaster said. "Do you?"

"Of the books at my house? No, but my library is three or four half height book shelves that I share with my father's law books. It's not an entire room with two story walls."

Charmcaster shrugged. "If you know what you're looking for, it's a simple recall spell to have the book brought to you."

"Then shouldn't we have Hex here?" asked Gwen.

Charmcaster turned and gave Gwen an evil eye. "_Your_ grandfather had my Uncle shipped off to the Null Void."

"Oh right," said Gwen, looking a little embarrassed. Charmcaster turned back to the books. "I thought you two were, um, not speaking anymore?"

"We're not," said Charmcaster. "I don't agree with what he did at all, but... he _did_ save my life. And depending on how things have been going in Ledgerdomain, he may be the only other person from my home left." She sighed. "So I do feel a kinship to him, and I am only a little surprised at how quickly your Plumber friends were to cage him while at the same time pardoning me and Phil."

"Different circumstances," said Gwen, analytically. "Surely you can see that. Hex didn't turn himself in. He helped a colossally powerful criminal break free of the prison that _you_ put him in."

"I know," Charmcaster said loudly. She turned again to look at Gwen. "Look, I know we're allies here and everything, but I'm finding it a little hard to forget the last seven years overnight. So I'd appreciate it if you'd _stop pressing my buttons_!"

"Geeze, sorry," said Gwen.

"Ugh! Can't you be anything other than an insufferable know-it-all?"

"I'm not being a know-it-all, I'm just trying to have a rational conversation with you," said Gwen.

"You're doing a poor job at it!" snapped Charmcaster. She then stormed over to the opposite side of the room and began looking at books there.

Gwen stared at the books on the shelf in front of her, but found it hard to concentrate. She hadn't intended to irritate Charmcaster and felt, at least for now, she should be getting along with the only other spellcaster in their team. It _was_ hard to forget the years of animosity between them, but Gwen believed that she could separate her emotion from her duty and simply ignore the sinking feeling that she was about to be attacked every time Charmcaster scowled.

In practice, however, Charmcaster's reaction showed she wasn't being careful enough. Gwen knew that in all likelihood it was mostly Charmcaster who was letting her emotions getting in the way, but having momentary allies that hated her was a depressingly common occurrence as a Plumber.

Gwen pulled out an old book without any markings on the spine to see what it was. She nearly gasped when she saw it was the Book of Archamada, the old text that Hex used when they were young, and the source of the time travel spell Gwen herself used last year that ended up screwing up the timeline.

With a shiver, Gwen remembered that the screwed up timeline featured a maniacal Charmcaster and Hex ruling over the world having enslaved Ben and Kevin. It was a terrible sight to behold and was the reason she resigned herself never to screw around with time travel again. At the time she blamed herself heavily for what happened, but now she realized something: Charmcaster and Hex had all the power in the world in that timeline, and yet they were _still here_. They hadn't gone back to Ledgerdomain.

"What's Ledgerdomain like?" asked Gwen as she placed the book back on the shelf.

"Like?" Charmcaster said with confusion. "It's ... different. From here, anyway. Cosmetically and, well... it's different."

"How different?" asked Gwen.

"I don't know," Charmcaster shook her head while studying the spines of books before her. "I haven't been there since I was, like, five. My memories are not particularly useful. Most of what I know about it comes from Hex's garbage stories."

"Garbage?" asked Gwen, confused as to why she'd phrase it like that.

"Look, he's a liar, okay?" snapped Charmcaster. She turned her head to the side to speak but didn't look at Gwen. "I thought, for a long time, that he was being honest with me and just lying to everyone else. Well, it turned out he was lying to me too. Serves me right for being gullible." She pulled a book off the shelf without looking at it and then opened it to a seemingly random page.

Gwen felt guilty for bringing this up now, too. "You shouldn't have to question your family's honesty," she said, diplomatically.

"Of course you do," Charmcaster grumbled. "People don't change who they are just because they share blood with you. I _knew_ that, too. I was just being stupid." She closed the book loudly then looked at Gwen. "It seems even your grandfather got the raw end of that."

Gwen frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean five generations of Tennyson Plumbers, and yet your grandfather thought he was the first."

"Oh," said Gwen. She was more than a little interested in knowing about that, but had been too timid to ask Grandpa Max directly. In fact, she had only asked Charmcaster such a similar question because she wasn't particularly concerned about the witch's opinion of her.

Gwen sighed. She had a long way to go before she could really treat Charmcaster as an ally.

"You'd probably find it weird," said Charmcaster slowly. "It's not like Earth at all."

"Ledgerdomain?" asked Gwen. Charmcaster nodded.

"It's the source of all mana in the universe," continued Charmcaster. "Endless potential mixes and flows through that realm. It looks a little like the Null Void on the surface, actually, but it's a very different place. There's no strict gravity like there is around planets here. We have to sort of 'give' objects mass and form and rules. It's amazingly liberating."

Charmcaster crossed her arms and leaned against the bookshelf beside her. "There are more than our share of dangers there, but if you have enough people in one place, that place takes on an inertia that allows it to persist in the form it's in." She chuckled. "Which is horribly ironic, because my people have all these strict rules about _intentionally_ manipulating the mana, and yet, their very existence causing the mana to change. It has to, or we'd all just be floating helplessly in the ether."

"How did your people get there?" asked Gwen.

Charmcaster sthrugged. "How did yours? There's no less controversy in Ledgerdomain than here. Some say we were formed out of a _primordial_ _urge_ while others say it's much more likely we evolved elsewhere and migrated to Ledgerdomain in the Formative Era. It doesn't really matter. We're there now." Her small smile faded. "Or were."

"What happened?" asked Gwen.

Charmcaster frowned slightly but just stared at the rugs. "Adwaita came. I have no idea from where. His control over the mana was unparalleled. His very presence disrupted the inertia of our cities. We – my people – asked him to leave. In response he demanded our servitude. I suppose, in the end, he got it. If it wasn't for the Cult of Archamada, there wouldn't have even been a resistence."

Gwen's eyes widened and she glanced back at the book she'd been holding just minutes before. "Archamada?"

Charmcaster nodded. "Yeah. I told you controlling the mana was taboo, but some of us have the talent that makes it so easy it's a crime not to. Those who rebelled, who secretly trained those with the talent, were called the Cult of Archamada. We... _they_ were the only ones who stood up to Adwaita's rule."

"They failed," said Gwen in the ensuing silence.

"Obviously," whispered Charmcaster. She spoke up slightly when she continued. "I'm not sure anymore precisely what really happened. Hex told me the cult beat Adwaita back and then our people turned against them for using the mana and exiled us from Ledgerdomain." She scowled. "I only learned yesterday that was not the truth. The truth was that Adwaita was only pushed back long enough for Hex to take me and escape. Presumably he's ruled over my people ever since."

That explained almost everything to Gwen. Charmcaster didn't know that returning home was an option because Hex had hid it from her. The remaining question was why Hex wouldn't have told her in the alternate timeline once they'd amassed their army. But the answer seemed pretty obvious to her: fear. Hex had never appeared to her to be terribly complex, and the idea of ruling over a planet full of humans versus making a potential suicide run against a monstrous mana beast was a pretty easy one. They'd lived on earth for so long already, why go back now?

Which was, she realized, where the sudden humility of Charmcaster was coming from. Gwen swallowed. The more she thought about this the greater the divide she saw between Hex and his niece. Neither had been particularly ethical in their lives, but while Hex sat on the knowledge that their people were subjugated regardless of the circumstances, as soon as Charmcaster found out she turned to Gwen for help.

Did that mean, deep down inside, Charmcaster really was a good person? Did the horror of barely escaping your home with your life offset the chaos and destruction she wrought as a kid with power and a teenager seeking vengeance?

That was a more difficult question than Gwen felt she could navigate in one day. But it did help her recognize that maybe Charmcaster was owed a bit more effort when it came to making friends.

"Do you really think there's anything here?" asked Gwen, motioning towards the shelves. Charmcaster looked up and then seemed lost in thought.

"There is some great magic locked in these books," said Charmcaster. "But all spells fall under a limited number of domains. Either we trap him, send him away, transform him, or destroy him. And those last two are effectively the same for high energy beings." She shrugged. "As much as I hate to admit it, without a cage of some sort to contain him, I'm not sure even you and I combined can summon enough power to lock him up for good."

Gwen nodded even though it wasn't what she was hoping to hear. "Maybe if we had a dozen more of us, right?" she joked.

Charmcaster stared with a frown at Gwen for a moment. "You have contact with your relatives?"

"Besides the obvious ones?" asked Gwen.

"The Anodite ones."

"Oh," said Gwen. "I know my grandma Verdona beyond that I really haven't met anyone else. I suppose if I needed to, Verdona could put me in touch with someone." Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Why? What are you thinking?"

Charmcaster turned and stuck her foot onto one of the lower shelves, kicking away a few books in the process. Pulling herself up she reached onto the tops shelves and pulled down a thin book, old, and hand bound. The cover had a simple star on the front, etched in what Gwen assumed was gold paint that hat heavily flaked over the years.

Once back on the ground, Charmcaster flipped quickly through the book and stopped at a page roughly halfway through.

"I'm thinking of taking out two birds with one stone," said Charmcaster. She turned the book around and held it up to Gwen.

Gwen stepped forwards to take a look and struggled for a moment to decipher the squiggly, hand-written incantations and directions. It was a spell to open a door back to Ledgerdomain.

"You want to send Brozz after Adwaita?" asked Gwen, more than a little unnerved by such a plan. "How do we know what will happen? How do we know who will _win_?"

"Doesn't matter," said Charmcaster. "The point is that they keep each other occupied while we rally some of the biggest mana users in two worlds."

"We don't even know if they'll do that," said Gwen. "They might join forces. Or Brozz might just copy Adwaita's power and conquer Ledgerdomain in his place."

"Don't be silly," Charmcaster dismissed her casually. "If there's anything I've learned in the last week it's that power hungry people on this scale just fight for more power, they don't bargain. Being part of a team is hard. Killing your enemies is easier."

Gwen stared at her.

"Relax, I'm not going to be killing you any time soon," grinned Charmcaster.

"How delightful," groaned Gwen.

**-(X)-**

"I don't like it," said Max as he was cooking..._something_ on the stove in his rustbucket. The 'something' included stringy worm-things with small green pellet-like peas and a leafy orange... Kevin wasn't sure.

"It keeps the collateral damage to Earth low," pointed out Charmcaster.

"I don't want to see your people suffer either," said Max. "What if they ally?"

"Ugh," moaned Charmcaster. "They _won't_. They're not that sort of monsters."

"Says you," said Kevin. He was also quite skeptical of this plan, and voiced his concerns when Gwen told him of it earlier, but she still wanted to go to Max anyway. "Why wouldn't he join up with someone who could substantially increase his power?"

"Because then he'd have to _share_," stressed Charmcaster. "We're talking about someone who has thrown himself up against the same Tennyson wall for over 150 years just because he doesn't like them very much. The only growth in his power in that time has been adapting to the things the Plumbers threw at him to keep him contained."

"She's right, you know," said Phil from the back of the RV. "This guy hasn't shown any original tactics since the early 1800s. Apart from a few days ago, anyway, with the decoy attack to make time for Hex to do his magic-y thing."

"And that's what you're forgetting," said Max. "He took Paradox's powers. He could be learning at an incredible rate."

"Tactics is different than goals," said Charmcaster. "He's still a power hungry monster, and he won't share the spotlight with Adwaita if there's a chance for him to take his power."

"So he becomes even stronger then?" said Ben. "I don't like what that means for us."

"I'm not sure he'll even be able to take Adwaita's power, given how he's been vulnerable to magic in the past. But the point is to get them both while they're fighting," said Charmcaster. "We don't stand equal footing with Brozz, that much is obvious. Without the containment vessel, even my magic probably can't hold him for long. But because he _is_ vulnerable to magic, there's no better place than Ledgerdomain to attack him. A place suffused with mana."

"How do we attack him?" asked Max.

"By rallying what's left of the Cult of Archamada, and bringing any Anodite who will follow us," said Charmcaster.

"And how are we supposed to get Anodyne to help us?" asked Kevin.

Charmcaster grinned at Gwen. "By counting on familial love."

"Yeah, I'm not thrilled about this part of the plan either," said Gwen. "But we can at least ask Grandma Verdona for help and maybe she could find a few others to assist."

"It shouldn't take much," said Charmcaster. "I suspect in Ledgerdomain, you'll find your powers much stronger than usual. And while Brozz can resist your power easier than mine, I'm figuring it'll be enough to knock him around a bit and allow time for my people to cast the spell."

"Woah, what spell?" asked Ben.

"_Diaspora_," said Charmcaster in a low voice.

"Is that—" started Kevin, but didn't get far.

"It's exactly what it sounds like," said Charmcaster. "With the right circumstances and power I think we could use it on both of them."

"That's not exactly the Plumber way," said Max.

Charmcaster leveled her eyes at him. "Maybe not, but consider this. In 1821, your ancestor, Wilbur Tennyson, saw Brozz attacking a Lumerian and hit him with a shovel. Brozz was weak back then and he went down like a chump. Because of that, Brozz has systematically escaped prison and hunted down every one of your ancestors that joined the Plumbers until your father finally sealed him away." She shook her head. "Now he's back. And if we don't destroy him he'll be back again someday to come after you, and if not you, then Ben and Gwen, and their children, and _their_ children. He's a monster, Tennyson. And while he can be stopped, he'll never give up."

Max was speechless for a full minute, just studying the pan in front of him, probably turning the details over in his mind. Eventually he flipped the pile of 'food' in the pan and made a small smile. "I can't let my personal feelings get in the way of doing what's right, or I'm no better than a criminal."

Phil laughed. "My how a man changes in twenty years."

Max looked quickly at Phil and the ex-Plumber simply held up his hands and grinned. "Hey, man. Its water under the bridge," said Phil.

Max grimaced and turned back towards Charmcaster and Gwen. "I don't like it," he said. "But you kids are in charge."

Gwen turned to look at Ben, and Kevin decided to follow suit. The boy hero always wanted to be center of attention, now he'd have to bear the guilt of being in charge.

"I haven't seen any better ideas yet," said Ben. "And I've never seen anyone actually stop Paradox before, so if Brozz has his abilities, we may really be in trouble."

"You're okay with killing Brozz?" asked Gwen.

Ben looked at his Ultimatrix. "No. But I'm less okay with him destroying the planet. Everything I've heard about this alien tells me there's no chance of reform. If that's true, then... what choice do we have?"

Ben looked around but nobody said anything in response.

"Then unless we have a better idea before Brozz shows up again, this is the plan," said Ben. He looked to Charmcaster. "What do you need to make it happen?"

"Opening the Door To Anywhere is easy," said Charmcaster. "You just have to speak the true name of the place you want to go. The spell I have will summon the Door to wherever I am. I need some time to cast, and then you have to make Brozz go through it."

"Oh, is that all?" asked Kevin. "Just have to make him go through it."

"I'm sure you have some alien in there big enough to knock him through a doorway," said Charmcaster, gesturing towards the Ultimatrix. "Other than a few minutes lead time with the door, the only thing we need to do before that is some recon."

"Recon?" asked Gwen. "You never mentioned any recon before."

"Well, we gotta find some Archamada members to help us," said Charmcaster, as if it were obvious. "I don't want to waste time looking for them when Brozz is right there. We need to go in ahead and find the people we need and teach them what to do."

"We?" asked Kevin.

"Me, Hex, and Gwen," said Charmcaster.

"Woah, woah," said Kevin, holding up his hands. "No way, I don't like this."

"Well _you're_ not going to be much help there," said Charmcaster. "And I want to know how much more powerful an Anodite is when they're in Ledgerdomain."

"I thought I needed to go get help from Anodyne?" said Gwen.

"Eh, your grandpa can do it, he married her after all," said Charmcaster.

Max raised an eyebrow. "I _can_ ask Verdona, but I don't like this any more than Kevin. And we just sent Hex to the Null Void."

"Gwen and I stand the best chance of getting in unnoticed," said Charmcaster. "But the last time I was in Ledgerdomain I was just a kid. I need Hex to help us get around."

"Even if we trust you," started Kevin, feeling the bile rise in his throat at saying those words. "We definitely don't trust Hex. There's no telling what he'll do once he's free."

"I can keep my Uncle under control," said Charmcaster. "And he's hardly the biggest problem facing us."

"Maybe not, but we can't just go letting every criminal out of the Null Void just to help us," said Max.

"We won't be," interrupted Ben. He looked around with a grim expression. "But Hex is just one criminal, and he has experience with Brozz. We might be able to keep him on track."

"It'll be your responsibility, Ben, even if you send him off with Charmcaster," said Max. "The Plumbers will blame you if he escapes."

"Hey, I'm the galactic hero," grinned Ben, in a dramatic change from his previous expression. Kevin could see the strain behind his eyes, though. He was forcing it. "Who's going to get angry at me?"

Max simply shook his head. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Me too!" said Ben with a smile, but Kevin had known lies like that before.

**-(X)-**

Gwen looked at her watch and then looked up at the gigantic stone door before her filled with purple runes and showing a swirling portal beyond. She could feel... _something_ in there, pulling at her subtly. It was a strange force, enticing in a way. As if something was touching the core of her being in a comforting way.

"I can feel it," said Gwen absently. She held up her hand towards the door and could sense the swirling mana on her palm.

"Are you sure she won't be consumed by the mana flows?" asked Hex to his niece. "She's pure energy."

"She's energy with consciousness," said Charmcaster. "If anything, there's more of a risk _we'll_ be eaten by Ledgerdomain than her. She practically embodies the essence of the realm."

"So you say," said Hex, frowning. "I've seen more horrific things than that happen to foolish spellcasters in Yawatacsip."

Gwen listened distractedly at their conversation but found it hard to be concerned with what they were saying. The feeling from the doorway was calming, soothing her worries away with ease. She wondered if this is how it felt to be on Anodyne.

A strong hand on her shoulder drew her attention away from the purple swirls and she looked at Kevin.

"You're going to be alright, right?" he asked, wearing a face that screamed fear. It was touching that he worried so much for her, but silly at the same time.

"I'll be fine," said Gwen, calmly. "Don't worry."

"No chance of that," said Kevin, staring up at the door. "I'll be here when you come out."

"Don't wait," said Gwen. "I'm sure there are things you should be doing. Like helping Kai."

Kevin looked conflicted for a second. "I'll keep her here."

"Don't be silly," said Gwen. "Go, be a good teacher, and I'll contact you when we're back."

Kevin appeared to steel himself. "Don't be long."

Gwen smiled. In a way she wished he could be this emotional all the time. She stepped up and kissed him on the cheek. "I won't," she said softly.

"Are you ready, yet?" asked Charmcaster, tapping her foot on the stone pathway.

Gwen shook her head. This was going to be an interesting trip. "Yeah, let's go."

Stepping away from her boyfriend, Gwen took a deep breath and walked up to the doorway. The pull was so strong where she was she almost tipped forward. Catching herself, though, she settled herself on the feet and then took a purposeful stride forward.


	10. Chapter 9 Lost Daughter

**Chapter 9 – Lost Daughter**

_Unknown Time_

_Ledgerdomain_

**-(X)-**

Gwen staggered at first and was grabbed firmly by Charmcaster's steadying hand. The nausea was brief but intense. Less than a minute later, it had passed and she felt the hand on her arm relax.

"What was that?" asked Gwen slowly. "Does the door always do that?"

"It wasn't the door," said Hex in a voice so low it sounded like a growl. He hadn't sounded like his cheery, megalomaniacal self since he was sprung from the Null Void again. Even a few days on the inside of that prison was probably enough to break a lesser person. Gwen assumed Hex was made of sterner stuff, but she might have been wrong. "It's you."

"Me?" asked Gwen. "What about me?"

Hex rolled his eyes and then reached into one of the voluminous pockets on his long coat. He held out a mirror in front of Gwen's face.

"Woah," gasped Gwen as she stared at her reflection. She was _sparkling_. That was unexpected. The sparkles were pink too, making her look as if she were made of glittering rubies.

"Get a hold of yourself or you'll bring Adwaita down on us," grumbled Hex as he pocketed the mirror again.

Gwen was taken aback by the request, never had to deal with such an issue on Earth it was not a skill she'd ever learned. But since she was the only Anodite around, she figured netiher would be much help in coaching.

Closing her eyes, she calmed her breathing and drew on the meditative _kwans_ of Taekwondo. She visualized the three _samje _and pulled them into herself, focused on the _in._ Several deliberate breaths later she believed herself to be in better control and opened her eyes again.

"Better?" asked Gwen.

Charmcaster looked annoyed but nodded. "Yeah." She shook her head and turned to walk down the stone path before them. Hex followed immediately afterwards, but Gwen stopped and stared at the world around them.

Ledgerdomain was _weird_.

They seemed to be standing on a floating stone platform with jagged edges, no railings, and not much of any other features other than gray rock. Above, beside, and around them the "sky" was a light purple that reminded Gwen of the color her mana constructs took on when she formed them. Floating like balloons in the air were other rock formations, some small, others huge winding and twisting with pathways that turned sideways and upside down at times. Even the path they stood on seemed to slowly tilt to the left, though Charmcaster and Hex in front of her didn't seem to notice as they walked.

Gwen let her mind experimentally reach out toward the world around her. Charmcaster had said this was the essence of all mana and that, in some way, her anodite form was derived from this domain. She gently allowed her astral presence to peek out—

And then she was on her back, breathing heavily and sweating. Hex and Charmcaster were leaning over her with mixed reactions that wavered between angry and concerned.

"What happened?" asked Gwen, blinking.

"Hex TOLD you to control yourself!" scolded Charmcaster. "You nearly formed your own city with the power you were taking in. Hex had to drop you to stop it."

"Drop me?" asked Gwen as she sat up and rubbed her head. There was a suspicious gap in her memories now. She had the notion that a couple minutes had passed but she couldn't be sure what had happened during that time.

"I bound you back into your corporeal form," said Hex sternly. "It's a mild curse, but you'll have trouble accessing your astral presence until it fades."

As soon as she said it, Gwen could feel the numbness in her core. She was normally hyperaware of the world around her, and had been ever since learning of her Anodite heritage, but now she felt like one of her senses had been cut off. She couldn't feel the mana infused in her own body let alone the oceans of it swirling around them. It was strange and very unsettling.

"How long will this last?" asked Gwen, looking at her hand. It appeared the same but it wasn't. She couldn't _feel_ like she should.

"An hour or so," said Hex. "You don't want to be using your abilities here. It'll bring the wrong kind of attention to our presence."

Gwen checked her watch. The hands had stopped. "How do you track an hour in here?" she asked quite plainly.

"Don't think about it," said Charmcaster. "It'll make your brain hurt. You can influence your own time here, though uncle is probably overriding us."

"I am," said Hex.

"Once we reach Krakkas there'll be enough inertia to our existence that your watch will work again," added Charmcaster.

"How much time is actually passing outside?" asked Gwen, finding this concept of _personal time_ to be hard to grasp.

"Don't think about that either," said Charmcaster with a smirk. "The door will sync us all up when we return."

Gwen did not like that answer but decided to stop asking questions about it before she became any more unsettled. "Krakkas?"

"The seat of leadership in Ledgerdomain," said Charmcaster. "Like a capital."

"Isn't that where Adwaita would be?" asked Gwen.

"No, he'll be at the chapel in Nis Virda," said Hex. "The Alpha Rune is there, and that's where his power will be strongest."

"So why Krakkas?" asked Gwen.

"Best place as any to find the remnants of Archamada," said Hex in a gravely voice.

Gwen chose to be quiet, despite her curiosity about the strange yet fascinating Ledgerdomain. Hex's statement reminded her that this wasn't exploration, it was a stealth mission. In fact, it was a mission with a very specific purpose: to incite a revolution against a tyrant. Memories of Ghostfreak ruling over Vilgaxia came to the surface of her mind but she tried to push them aside.

Ghostfreak was one of those horror stories she planned to tell future Plumbers to keep them in line. They'd listen, she was sure, but they couldn't know. It was one thing to fear an intangible menace that had conquered and infected a world. It was another thing to have memories of that ... thing controlling her mind and body.

It was ancient history now, Gwen knew, from the early days of aliens. She was only ten years old at the time, but in a way that made it worse. She had defenses now, she was capable. Back then she was helpless to Ghostfreak's possession. She remembered the terror she felt, the pin-pricks in her brain as he dug into her consciousness, the images of her body fighting Ben as Four Arms.

Gwen shivered. She didn't want to think about it anymore and forced herself to focus on the task at hand. Krakkas. Archamada. Revolution. It was simple in theory. Time to see how it worked in practice.

"You okay?" asked Charmcaster.

Gwen nodded and motioned ahead. "I'll be fine."

They continued walking down the slightly twisting path. Gwen couldn't see a city anywhere and was curious if the place they were walking to even still existed. According to Charmcaster, neither she nor Hex had returned here in fifteen years. In a place shaped by the collective will of a people, a lot could happen in that time. Assuming that fifteen years on Earth meant anything in Ledgerdomain. She was still a little confused about that personal-time thing.

Eventually they made their way to a simple stone archway at the end of the path. It looked empty and beyond it was just more of the distantly swirling mana. Gwen could feel a tingling from it, hopefully a sign that the confining numbness was fading and Hex's spell was about to disburse.

Hex walked up to the archway and looked through it carefully. Then he frowned (more) and walked around it as well.

"This is bad," said Hex.

"It's not working?" asked Gwen.

Hex shook his head. Charmcaster looked at the archway and tilted her head. "It doesn't go to Krakkas. It should."

"What does that mean?" asked Gwen. "Someone changed the destination of the portal?"

"Moved it," said Hex. "And it's not a portal, it's a stepway."

Gwen raised a brow but said nothing.

"It either means Krakkas has changed so much I don't recognize it, or it's been destroyed," said Charmcaster. The last few words she spoke quietly, as if hoping to make them untrue.

"What do we do?" asked Gwen. She looked around but saw no other archways similar to this one around.

"We proceed forward," said Hex. "But be on guard. It may still go to Krakkas, just not one that I'm familiar with."

"Can't we get there ... you know, normally?" asked Gwen. "Walk or fly?"

"This is the normal way," said Hex. "Distances are mutable, only stepways anchor places together."

"Great," said Gwen. Nothing was normal around here, she was realizing. It wasn't just 'cosmetic' as Charmcaster had implied back at the manor.

**-(X)-**

Gwen wasn't sure what to expect from Krakkas, but it certainly wasn't a modern metropolitan city crossed with something out of the Pax Romana. Glass skyscrapers mixed with stone aqueducts and two story brownstones topped insulae with Opus Reticulatum. A historian would have had a field day. Gwen's above average knowledge of Grecian and Roman life was doing cartwheels. She wanted to plant herself in front of a stone obelisk – startlingly made from obsidian and granite - and just absorb what she was seeing.

But that wasn't what they were there for, so she tried her best to rein in her enthusiasm.

"This is new," said Hex as he stared as some of the taller buildings, several of which looked inspired by the boxy look of the Sears Tower and at least one by the towering spire of the Burj Khalifa. "There has been recent human influence."

"What could that mean?" asked Charmcaster as she looked around. It appeared, at east to Gwen, that she was just as bewildered by what she was seeing. Gwen wondered what stories Charmcaster had heard as a child and how they matched to the current vista.

"I don't know," growled Hex, his wonderment immediately submerged beneath his 'normally' gruff personality. "Adwaita doing recon? But I don't see how anyone allowed to leave Ledgerdomain under his rule would return willingly." He looked around.

There weren't too many people on the streets, and those that were dressed more similarly to Hex and Charmcaster than Gwen. Even with her powers sealed, Gwen new their appearance was going to attract attention sooner or later.

"We must be careful," said Hex. "This far from Nis Virda, we should be relatively safe, but anyone could be a spy if we say the wrong thing."

"What did you expect when we came here?" asked Gwen, unable to resist knowing.

"Ruin," said Hex darkly. "I would not want to see the Cult of Archamada crushed, but I had thought they would have fought to the last. This... this reeks of _acceptance_."

"Acceptance?" said Charmcaster.

"They have gotten _used_ to serving a dictator," said Hex. "They've given up."

"We don't know that," said Gwen. "Things could be more complicated than they seem."

"I would hope so," said Hex. He set off down the streets without another word, moving only slow enough for Gwen and Charmcaster to keep up.

**-(X)-**

A bar, _of course_. Gwen had thought there were strange similarities between Ledgerdomain and Earth – not the least of which was the _people_ here were essentially humans, biologically speaking – but the universe had shown to her in the last few years that there was one constant upon which the universe turned it was this: if you're looking for troublemakers, look to the local drinking establishment.

Oh, the differences were there, Gwen easily saw them. The drinks were green and purple instead of amber and clear, and the bartender was squeezing one popular drink out of what looked like an orange gourd, but the message was the same. People drank mild toxins to sooth the worries of their lives and there were no people with greater worries than failed revolutionaries.

Even _Hex_ seemed out of place here, to Gwen's surprise, but he did his best as he walked up to a hostess and asked a quick series of questions earning him an odd look and then a hip shake towards the back of the establishment. Gwen and Charmcaster, neither of whom knew the drinking laws, were trying to appear casual, sitting at a table with nothing on it at all. When Hex gave them the nod, though, the stood and followed him back.

The darkened alcove into which they followed the villain was not very large, and only really hidden by virtue of the minimal light directed towards it. It was still enough, however, to almost entirely conceal the two people sitting at the table there. Hex addressed them casually, but Gwen saw the muscles tightening in his cheeks: he was nervous.

"Brothers," said Hex.

One of the figures leaned forward just enough to expose a frock of blue-white hair – just a shade lighter than Charmcaster's and tinged teal instead of purple – and a slender hand that belonged to a woman. That hand reached for a tall glass of green liquid and lifted it slightly, then extended a finger to jab at the air in front of Hex.

"You're treading dangerous ground showing up here, Hex," said the owner of the hand. The voice was definitely feminine but was even and cool. "Why shouldn't we shove your face before Adwaita right now?"

"Cabra," said Hex. "You would turn over a brother to the enemy."

The other figure stirred and waved a fist at Hex. "You're no brother! You're a coward who stabbed our only hope in the back!"

"He was lost, Abara," insisted Hex with a forceful whisper. "There was only hope if we escaped."

Cabra spat. "Is that was you tell yourself?" She pointed at Charmcasters. "And her, is she your kin? Do you tell her your lies as well?"

Hex looked briefly at a confused Charmcaster then quickly turned his eyes towards the shadowy figures. "This is his daughter."

The figures went stiff and then, slowly, almost fearfully, they got up and stepped into the light of the bar. The woman was tall, very thin, and wearing a black top with silver trim beneath a long, deep red coat with no sleeves. Her hair was long and uneven, going long down her back and curtaining around her gaunt face. The man was similar in stature, slightly shorter than the woman, but a little more muscular. He was wearing layers of robes with V-shaped designs on them, aligning at his center and creating a series of arrows pointing at the floor.

Both looked at Charmcaster with awe. She, in turn, narrowed her eyes slightly and tilted her head.

"I...remember you," whispered Charmcaster. "When I was young you... you were always with my... mother?"

The woman, Cabra, smiled slightly, forming creases around her mouth as if she'd not done such a thing in a long time and was unused to the motion. "Charmy?" she said.

"We—we thought you lost," said Abara, his mouth hanging open but with the very edges of his lips turned up experimentally. Eventually the smile won out and he let out a pleasant laugh then lunged forward and gathered Charmcaster up into a hug.

"Er—o-okay?" said Charmcaster as she stiffened.

Cabra quickly joined in and gently wrapped her arms around Charmcaster and Abara together. "I can't believe it... it's like a miracle."

The moment seemed locked in time as Gwen watched, understanding – intellectually – what must have been going through these two's mind, but also more aware that they were starting to make a scene. She reached out with her astral presence to get a feel for their surroundings but again felt the numbness of Hex's spell. How long was that going to last?

Then, suddenly, the moment was broken and Cabra released her grip and then turned on Hex with a scowl on her face. "No, it's not a miracle. It was a _kidnapping_!"

Hex's eye went wide and he held up his hands defensively. "Now, calm down, Cabra—"

"You _took_ her when she should have been ours to protect!" growled Cabra. She stalked toward Hex and balled her fists.

"I was her Uncle, I had just as much reason—" started Hex but then Cabra swung her hand around like a blade.

"VEKTIS!" Cabra shouted shortly and silver lightning erupted from her fingers and danced along the stone floor at Hex's feet. The target jumped to keep from getting stung. "You were a loveless Uncle, who hated her father!"

"Cabra! Stop yourself!" said Hex, trying to be commanding but also keep his voice down.

Gwen looked back towards the better lighted part of the bar and nearly everyone was looking this way. She swallowed nervously. Again she reached out trying to feel beyond the binding spell Hex placed her. She felt handicapped and it was making her skin crawl.

"He was my brother," continued Hex. "I loved him as any brother would."

"You were _jealous_ of him," said Cabra. She raised a crackling fingertip and poked Hex in the chest. Small sparks jumped from her finger and snaked along his body, causing him to twitch once. "I wouldn't be surprised if you killed him!"

"I did no such thing!" shouted Hex, now completely ignoring the other people in the bar. "Yes, I was _jealous_ of him. We share blood and yet he's the chosen one, the leader, the one with the greater _gift_. But he was _still my brother_."

Gwen could easily imagine this conversation happening at home, on Earth, between herself and Ben not too long ago. There were certainly times back when Ben had first gotten the Omnitrix when Gwen seethed with jealousy over her cousin's insane luck. Someone so unskilled, so undisciplined, and yet so successful despite his flaws. She could never rest on her laurels as much as him and get away with it. It infuriated her.

But then those days ended like... like they did. And now, in this recent era of alien fighting the stakes had risen so dramatically that Gwen didn't envy Ben at all. In fact, she realized now that it was Gwen who had been lucky not to touch the Omnitrix first. That Ben's haphazard ways were damning at times instead of rewarding.

Gwen shook her head when she heard the crack of lightning again. Capra looked ready to kill Hex right there and that would end their trip early.

"Guys," she yelled. "We can't do this here."

"I'll be done quick," said Cabra quickly aiming her outstretched fingers towards Hex's face.

"Cabra—_sister_, we are here _now_ and we may have a path towards freedom if you let me explain."

Cabra narrowed her eyes at Hex and studied the lines in his white face. Gwen could see the shake in his hand, the effort he was expending to keep himself still. She wondered why Hex had not fought back at all, why he seemed fearful of this Cabra. Everything she remembered of Hex said he wouldn't have stood for this torment.

And yet, he had just called her _sister_. What did that mean? Was it because they were fellow Cult of Archamada members, or was she really his sister?

"Fine," said Cabra suddenly and turned away from Hex. "I can always kill you at home." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a squared coin and threw it on the table. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Abara, still clinging to Charmcaster who was wearing a mixture of fear and confusion on her face.

"Geeze, Abara, get a hold of yerself," said Cabra. She grabbed Abara from one of his collars and yanked him away from Charmcaster. "We'll talk at the Tristum." She then looked directly at Gwen.

"What are you?" she asked plainly.

"Gwen Tennyson," said Gwen with a half smile. She held out her hand. "I'm here to help."

Cabra regarded the hand then rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She looked away then headed for the door, blissfully ignoring the staring patrons.

Charmcaster shivered visibly then looked at Gwen. "What just happened?"

"Beats me," admitted Gwen. "But I think we're about to find out."

**-(X)-**

Once he had his head screwed on right, Abara turned out to be the more practical of the two locals that Hex had met at the bar, and that was quickly becoming a problem.

"Absolutely not," said Abara as they stood in the closed Tristum, a circular stone building with a smoked glass dome top and steel reinforcement located at the perimeter of "downtown" Krakkas. It was a mind boggling mixture of technologies that Gwen wasn't sure _should_ have worked together if she wasn't looking at it doing so. "You want to introduce another monster into our world and just _hope_ it doesn't end up worse than Adwaita?"

Hex shrugged and simply gestured to Charmcaster with a look of defeat. Gwen shook her head at the lack of support from the villain.

"I've watched this guy through two centuries," said Charmcaster. "He is strong, but easily surprised. Adwaita is nothing like he's seen before. He'll fall for it."

"Then what?" asked Abara. "Adwaita has another victory for his crown?" He shook his head. "Charmy, mere power is not going to topple him, not while he has control over the Alpha Rune. I don't know what Hex has told you-"

"It has less to do with power and more to do with attention," said Charmcaster. "With Brozz distracting Adwaita it will give us enough time to cast _Diaspora_."

Cabra laughed loudly. "_Diaspora_? Did you even read that spell it—"

"Is a simple spell, I know," nodded Charmcaster. "But it has no upper bound on power, it will do the job if we throw enough behind it."

"There weren't enough Archamada when your father was alive to power a simple Diaspora to destroy Adwaita, much less now. You need a more complex spell with a talon or two, and probably more than one focus to get the concentration you need and that means _time._ Days, not moments." Cabra shook her head.

"We don't have days," said Abara. "Either your monster will adapt to ours or ours will simply crush yours. It won't last that long."

"We can do it with Diaspora," said Charmcaster. "And some anodites."

"Oh, we're relying on legends now?" laughed Cabra. "I wasn't aware the mana itself was on our side."

Charmcaster looked towards Gwen. "Gwen?" she prompted.

Gwen looked surprised at the turn of the conversation, and wished that Charmcaster had given her some form of heads up ahead of time that she was going to do this. She looked towards Hex expectantly to which he simply nodded silently.

With a breath, Gwen closed her eyes and tried to bring forth her true form again. She _still_ felt numb, but it was fading enough that she could blunder her way through the shedding of her physical shelf. With practiced moves she slowly allowed the 'spark' within her to be exposed.

With a rush of excitement she felt her body turn to mana and expose her glowing purple core. She opened her eyes to see her radiance reflect off the stone walls and glass ceiling and the wide eyes of Abara and Cabra.

"By the founders..." said Cabra with a hollow voice. Gwen imagined the turmoil going through the man's head. It probably was much like the first time she had encountered aliens back as a ten year old girl.

And yet, she had _been_ an alien all that time. She never once forgot how strange her life had become.

"Enough," said Hex suddenly and held out his hands.

"I've got it," Gwen waved him off and then concentrated on brining back her physical body. It took a lot more effort than normal, but within a minute she had returned to non-glowy normalcy. She was still under the after effects of Hex's spell and she was well aware of it. The last thing she wanted was for Hex to throw another binding spell on her.

"Y-you're an Anodite?" said Cabra.

Gwen nodded. "I am. And I'm trying to rally my people to help us. I hope I can."

"Surely the might of one Anodite is enough," said Abara.

Gwen tried not to blush. "I wish I was that strong, but I'm still learning control. I could end up losing myself if I push too hard while in my true form. I need my family to help."

"You have a whole family of gods?" asked Abara.

Gwen laughed lightly. "It seems like that sometimes. But, no, in the physical world Anodites are strong but not akin to gods. At least, not the ones I've run into. Grandma Verdona is pretty impressive though."

"Then... we are saved!" said Abara cheerily.

"No." Charmcaster very quickly interrupted. "We need to cast Diaspora."

"But the gods will—"

"We're _not_ gods," said Gwen.

"And it's not enough," said Charmcaster hastily. "They're the power, the _fuel_, we need to give that power structure and control. We need to have anyone and everyone who has the talent to help cast the spell. Just the four of us won't be enough."

"How do you know this?" asked Cabra. "You haven't been here since you were a little girl."

Charmcaster looked towards Gwen and suddenly seemed guilty. "It's too much power," she said before looking back towards Cabra. "Even one Anodite on Earth is enough to tear a spell caster to pieces. I can only assume here in Ledgerdomain, it would be well beyond any of our ability to control."

Gwen suddenly realized where this plan had come from, and why Charmcaster thought it would work. Because it wasn't too long ago that Charmcaster had stolen Gwen's powers and used them to augment her own.

But based on what she'd just heard, there must have been unintended side effects of that transfer she never mentioned.

"It can be done," Gwen spoke up, feeling she had to say something given her revelation. "We've tested it small scale, and your spells are capable of using the energy of an Anodite. I don't know if it will rival your Alpha Rune but it should be substantial, given how I feel right now."

Charmcaster nodded, but refused to look at Gwen. She instead focused her attention on Abara.

"Do you understand what we need?" asked Charmcaster.

"You want us to root out anyone left with the talent and teach them Diaspora," summarized Abara. "That will put us at considerable risk, you know. There are those with the talent who work _for_ Adwaita."

"How is that possible?" said Hex angrily. "Working _for_ Adwaita? Willing? What traitors are these?"

"It's not that simple, Hex," said Cabra. "All of us have had to make sacrifices to survive."

"Allying with the _enemy_?" asked Hex.

"How long after an enemy conquers your world before he's simply a fact, Hex?" asked Cabra. "There are younglings who have never known life outside of his decrees. And the prospering of our cities came _after_ his domination. It's hard to explain that to the youth."

Hex crossed his arms and looked away. "They still should know what we suffered at his hand."

"_You_ need to know what _we_ suffered, Hex, because you were absent for nearly all of it," said Abara abruptly. "Adwaita had no concern of cults or the differences between Archamada and the normals. We _all_ suffered, and those of us with the gift suffered _more_ in an effort to break us to do his bidding. Those that had it worst, those that fought back, they are the servants you see now at his temples. Empty shells who do only what asked because it _hurts too much_ to think anymore."

Abara shook his head. "Our youth don't need to hear those stories, Hex. They don't need to endure what we did to make this world livable with Adwaita at the top."

Hex sighed but locked his eyes squarely on Abara. "Of _course_ they need to hear those stories. How else will you get them to rise up again and seize what is rightfully _theirs_?"

"To what end? To be squashed by Adwaita or worse? To go through all that once more when _acceptance_ is painless?" Abara pointed a finger between Hex's eyes. "You who pined away at your brother's position, sniping at the corners, trying to undermine him. You who had _no hope_ of succeeding him unless the unthinkable happened. You say you loved Spellbinder. Well, was it worth it? Is this world worth your power?"

"I didn't cause this!" said Hex.

"No, but you would have if you could," said Abara. "Don't think for a minute I don't understand you. If it could be you with the Alpha Rune around your neck it would have been. And I wonder just how much worse it would be than this."

"I don't have to listen to this," snapped Hex. "We came here to help!" He turned and stormed out of the Tristum.

Charmcaster watched him go and Gwen could see the conflict on her face.

"Why did he really come here?" asked Cabra softly.

Gwen waited for the response then looked up and realized that the woman was talking to her.

"Uh, well," started Gwen. She wasn't sure how much to say, worried the full truth might destroy their hope of gaining support for the plan. Though the plan was seeming less and less clear cut by the minute.

"Conditions of his bail," said Charmcaster, removing the need for Gwen to decide. "He helps us find you, and he gets an opportunity to escape us and flee."

Gwen's eyes widened at this admission, but Charmcaster rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't start. You know that's why he did it," she said. "He's not going to go back to the Null Void if he can help it."

Abara turned with a look of mild surprise and approached Charmcaster again. "So... you know? About your Uncle, I mean. His... 'nature'?"

Charmcaster nodded slowly. Gwen could see the weight on her shoulders increase exponentially with each nod. It was painful to watch. She was glad that her family were largely good people, if occasionally a little bratty.

"There hasn't been time, but... do you know who we are?" asked Abara.

Charmcaster was still for a moment. "I have images, flashes in my mind of you two, always with my mother. I don't know what they mean. I guess you're my Uncle and Aunt."

Abara smiled warmly. "I am your Uncle, and Cabra is your Aunt and your father's sister."

"And Hex's sister," said Cabra, angrily. "Fat load of good family relations did me."

"We were with you a lot growing up," said Abara, ignoring Cabra's grousings. "Your father, Spellbinder, was a member of the Edenar, our leaders, and prominent within the Cult of Archamada. Which left him away most of the time so we helped your mother take care of you."

"My father was Edenar?" asked Charmcaster, sounding surprised. "But... he was Archamada."

"Not everything is so simple," said Abara. "Spellbinder knew of the hate towards us, but was aware that the hate wouldn't be resolved overnight." He shook his head. "At least, not without a tyrant conquering our people and instituting new directives. But, he was hoping to allow for the gradual change of people's opinions towards Archamada so that we could one day be allowed to freely practice."

"He couldn't just make it happen?" asked Charmcaster. "I mean, he was Edenar!"

"If he tried, he would have been overthrown," said Abara. "Rebellion works both ways, and he knew that. He was ... slow working, but was trying his best." He sighed. "Hex never understood that."

"It meant squat in the end," said Cabra. "If he had at least created a safe harbor for us we could have been better prepared. But no, Binder was always about order and process."

"When Adwaita attacked, we thought you were with Binder when he... revealed himself," said Abara. "Adwaita saw his strength and focused on him. The collateral damage was huge."

"I was," said Charmcaster. "I was with him." She looked absently to the ceiling for a moment. "But ... father gave me to Hex and ... told us to run." She shook her head. "It's hard to remember, Hex told me stories about that time that wasn't true. I'm not sure what I remember truly and what was just tales."

"He was a great man, your father," said Abara. "The best of us."

Charmcaster looked down and said nothing.

"Can you help?" asked Gwen. "The fate of two worlds is affected by this plan. We need your help plus my people's to stop Brozz and Adwaita."

Abara nodded. "We'll help."

"Then what?" asked Cabra. "What do we do once Adwaita is gone? What do we do about the younglings who won't understand?"

Gwen struggled to come up with an answer for that, knowing so little of this world's story as she did.

Charmcaster once again came to her rescue. "Maybe you can continue what my father started then." She looked calmly at Cabra. "It has to be better than to continue living under his thumb."

Cabra opened her mouth to reply but then hesitated, and said nothing.

**-(X)-**

Charmcaster and Gwen stood at the stepway at the edge of Krakkas looking sullen. They had technically succeeded in getting in contact with people who could help and had communicated the plan to them. But for some reason, Gwen felt like it hadn't been a victory.

"Use this when it's time," said Abara, handing over a slip of paper to Charmcaster. "That's the signal for us to start the spell. Give us time and we'll be as ready as we can be."

"Thank you," said Gwen as Charmcaster wordlessly took the paper.

"Just don't take too long," said Cabra. "Once we start talking to people, sooner or later we're going to run into a servant of Adwaita and that'll stop this rebellion in its tracks"

Gwen nodded and then looked at Charmcaster's downtrodden body language. Cabra must have noticed as well because she moved up to hug her tightly.

"Charmy, knowing you're alive gives me hope I haven't felt in ages," she said. "Please, don't let my brothers' problems become yours."

Charmcaster sighed. "They already are," she said. Then she raised her arms and hugged back. "But we'll fix them."

"I don't know about Hex," said Abara. "But you're certainly welcome home any time after this is over. You don't need to leave again."

Charmcaster nodded and the stepped away from Cabra to hug Abara.

Gwen turned away, feeling like an intruder. They hadn't seen hide nor hair of Hex after he left earlier and given what Charmcaster had said, she wasn't surprised. He had done the part that neither of them could have done alone, find people who could help them. Gwen figured that if this plan worked, then he'd have earned his opportunity to escape.

"You must tell me about your people some day," said Cabra.

Gwen was startled to realize she was being addressed and turned back to see that the hug had ended. "Uh, sure, I'd love to," she said. "Well, what I know. Maybe Grandma Verdona would be better, she lived on Anodyne after all."

Cabra shook her head slowly. "A planet full of gods."

"We're _not_ gods," said Gwen sternly.

Cabra smiled, but Abara spoke. "There is a reason why those with the talent became hated, and it had nothing to do with the purity of mana. We had always been similar people, but the talent gave us power far beyond those without. In the old days, we were viewed as gods. But we are as vulnerable as anyone to attack and it wasn't long before we were resented for our gifts. Those without the talent always outnumbered those with, and it is always easy for a large group to overcome the advantages of a much smaller one."

"But the point is," continued Abara. "That it is the _difference_ in power that set us as gods once, not our capacity for sweeping change. You are _quite_ different from us."

Gwen wasn't sure how to respond to that and took a page from her cousin's book. "Just don't start resenting me and we'll be fine." She grinned.

"So long as you don't forsake us," said Abara. "We'll be waiting for the signal."

"Thanks again," nodded Gwen uneasily.

"Come on," said Charmcaster standing by the stepway. "The sooner we leave the sooner we can come back."

Gwen turned away from Abara and Cabra and followed Charmcaster through the stepway. The rush of nausea hit her as they crossed the threshold but it was far less intense than in the other direction. She still stumbled slightly as her foot touched Earth again, and steadied herself before looking up.

Brozz looked down at her.

Then his fist came down.


	11. Chapter 10 Bad Blood

**Chapter 10 – Bad Blood**

July 12, 2010

Bellwood, California

**- (X) -**

Gwen smiled as she stepped up and kissed Kevin on the cheek before the Door to Anywhere.

"Are you ready, yet?" asked Charmcaster, tapping her foot on the stone pathway.

Gwen shook her head. "Yeah, let's go."

Stepping away from Kevin, Gwen walked up to the doorway. For a moment she seemed unbalanced and she almost tipped forward. Catching herself, she settled on her feet and then took a purposeful stride forward and through the doorway which closed behind her, Charmcaster, and Hex.

Kevin stared at the archway as it gently faded back to wherever it came from and tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in his stomach. He hated being this far apart from Gwen, and hated more the fact that there was nothing he could do to get to her if something went wrong. They were literally on another dimensional through a locked door that the only two key holders had passed through. They were putting all their faith in Charmcaster to bring Gwen back alive.

And Kevin knew _exactly_ how much you could trust Charmcaster.

But it wasn't his plan, it wasn't his decision, and Gwen was determined to do this. He couldn't stop her, and trying would have been worse. So he swallowed the lump in his throat, and let her go.

And now he was regretting it.

He turned back towards his mustang and began walking, hoping the dread would eventually pass. He got back into the car and looked over at Kai, his student, who had been dutifully waiting in the car while he bid his farewell to his girlfriend. She was sitting with her eyes closed and her body relaxed, almost as if she were sleeping. She was holding a blackened match between two fingers of her left hand.

"Now," said Kevin suddenly. Kai's eyes snapped open and the match flared back into a flame.

"Yes!" cheered Kai a second later then squeezed the tip to put the match out.

Kevin nodded. He had told Kai to stall the reactions in the flame and hold them until he told her otherwise. He had been standing outside for fifteen minutes, during which time she had apparently kept the fire perfectly suspended. It was impressive. He never expected her to advance this quickly given her psychological hang-ups.

He was a little worried that her progress was not all his doing.

"Now what?" asked Kai with a broad smile.

Kevin turned the car on and put it into gear. "Now we're going to find out what what's been hidden from us."

"What do you mean?" asked Kai as they turned onto the highway. "Where are we going?"

"To the hangar," said Kevin.

"Hangar?" asked Kai. "What hangar?"

"Where I keep the Rustbucket III," said Kevin. "My ship."

"You have a ship? A _space ship_?"

"Yeah, I built it myself... well, out of a Plumber ship."

Kai stared at Kevin and he smirked at the reaction. Nobody ever thinks of him as the engineer, but if there was a way to have made a wealthy living after escaping the Null Void just building things, he would have done it. But he had no money, and that mean no parts. With no parts he couldn't very well build things, and few places with the tech Kevin liked to tinker with would employ an ex-Null Void inhabitant. Especially an Osmosian one.

"Where are we going in the ship?"

"The Plumber Academy," said Kevin, shaking his head. Then added, because he knew she'd ask, "We need access to their archives. They have a direct connection to the Plumber Codex and the GP Core."

"What are those?"

"Databases," said Kevin. "According to Phil and Charmcaster, Brozz has been a threat for almost two hundred years. There has to be information about him. If not in the Plumber's computers, then in the Galaxy Police's."

"I thought the Plumbers _were_ the police," said Kai, confused.

"No," Kevin shook his head. "The Plumbers are a specialist force that mainly focuses on the fringe of the galaxy. They're like SWAT. The GP is way bigger and deals with more mundane issues. They overlap a lot in the fringe, though, which is where Earth is. The GP handles things more often near the galactic core where the Plumbers are only called in for big threats."

"So who, like, sponsors them?" asked Kai. "Are the Plumbers part of the GP?"

"Not really," said Kevin. "The Plumbers extract an operating tax from Tech Level 3 and above planets. They're independent from the GP, and as such, the GP has to pay the Plumbers when they're called in to do their work." He sighed. "Which used to be a good way to get around the GP in the core, since they were reluctant to incur the fee involved with calling in the GP and would rather let small time smugglers get away. But a couple years ago the Plumbers instituted a subscription system, like the tax they charge to Tech-3 planets, and now the GP calls them in _all the time_."

"That's good, though, right?" said Kai. "Now the GP gets the support they need."

"Not so good for small time smugglers though," said Kevin.

Kai looked at him.

"Which I'm not, anymore, so it shouldn't bother me," said Kevin. "But it does."

**- (X) -**

Phil was waiting by the Rustbucket III with crossed arms when Kevin and Kai pulled up. Kevin looked at him with a frown and Phil countered with a smirk.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kevin.

"I need a lift," said Phil.

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Trying to escape already?"

Phil frowned. "Don't get smart with me, kid, I could have left this fail train long ago if I wanted to. But Brozz is a threat and I'm not running off until he's dealt with."

"Then... what?" asked Kai, equally confused.

Phil shook his head. "Azmuth wants his time machine back."

"You're going to see Azmuth?" asked Kevin. "Like, in person?"

"He told me – in no uncertain terms – that when we got here I was supposed to deliver it to Galvan Prime first thing, assuming Brozz wasn't in the process of tearing up downtown."

"Galvan Prime's gone," said Kevin. "Destroyed by the Highbreed."

"Wow," said Phil, momentarily stunned. "Really? Where is Azmuth now?"

Kevin shook his head as he stepped into the Rustbucket. He walked past the silvery time machine parked in the cargo bay and wondered how Phil got it in there. "Dunno. I imagine someone in Plumber Central Command knows, we can ask. Or we can just have the Academy deliver it for us."

"Gotta be personally," said Phil. "I know better than to question Azmuth." He paused. "The Academy, huh? I didn't realize one existed. Is that where you're going?"

"There are several," said Kevin, sitting down in the cockpit and flipping on the pre-flight power generators. "One's pretty close, though, so we're heading there."

"We're hoping to get some information on Brozz from the Plumber databases," said Kai, helpfully.

"_I'm_ going to look for information," corrected Kevin. He reached under the console and pulled out a device that looked like a white pistol. He tossed it towards her. "You're going to go into the back and work on this."

Kai looked confused at the gun. "Target practice?"

"That's a standard issue GP pistol," said Kevin. "Uses the same battery pack as a Plumber UR-15. I want you to find a way to defend yourself from it. Maybe neutralize the battery pack and keep it from firing."

"Okay," Kai said slowly. "Um, should we expect to be attacked by the Galaxy Police anytime soon?"

"It doesn't hurt to be prepared," said Kevin. "You never want to be on the wrong end of a gun."

Kai looked at the pistol in her hand and then slowly started walking back into the cargo area. Phil watched her go before taking the seat next to Kevin.

"Is that safe?" he asked.

"There's a target area back there," said Kevin. "Should be fine."

"'Should?'" said Phil. "That's a deadly weapon you just handed her."

Kevin glared at Phil. "She's a hell of a lot safer than I was when I learned how to master my powers. She should consider herself lucky."

"She's just a kid!" said Phil.

"So was I," said Kevin, angrily. "Sooner or later you have to give that up if you want to survive. Surely you know that. You attacked a ten-year old boy _and his cousin_." He stared intensely at Phil.

Phil looked uneasily around. "Uh, right," he said finally, and then said nothing more.

"I have no reason to be nice to you, but I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt anyway," said Kevin. "We're going to get along, right?"

Phil nodded. "Where did you get a GP pistol?"

Kevin grinned at him.

**- (X) -**

Ben was absolutely certain this was a bad idea, and had voiced as much several times beforehand, but somehow he'd been usurped by his grandfather and so here he was sitting in Gwen's parents' living room, next to Julie, across from Max, Uncle Frank, and Aunt Lily, while they all waited for Grandma Verdona to arrive. There was very little talking going on.

"Ship is nearby, right?" Ben whispered to Julie.

"He's always nearby," said Julie, shrugging. "Are you expecting a fight?"

"I'm expecting to have to escape quickly," said Ben.

"So, Julie," said Lily. "I heard you ranked very well last year in the USTA Regionals, are you going to play in the National Tournaments next year?"

Julie nodded. "Yes, my coach is planning on entering me in several Tournaments this year, more Regionals, the Challengers, and the Nationals in Spring."

"That sounds like a lot of hard work," said Lily.

"Only if I qualify each time," said Julie. "But it is very important to me. I hope to one day play for the ITF."

"I wish you luck," said Lily. Then she turned ever so slightly towards Max. "And I hope nothing gets in the way of your dream."

Max cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"I'm pretty good getting around obstacles," said Julie, not missing a beat.

Ben found he was holding his breath and quietly let it out. He was sure this whole night was going to go disastrously, but this was the only way Verdona would come to talk to them, and so Max set it up. Ben wished he could have just asked his Grandmother over the Plumber's network or by messenger or something that wouldn't have involved Gwen's parents, but these were the conditions, and he would endure for the sake of the planet.

Lily looked at her watch and arched her brow. "Well, how long are we going to wait for her?"

Ben checked his own watch. It was only five minutes past the hour.

"She's travelling halfway across the galaxy, dear," said Frank, trying to calm his wife. "I'm sure it's not an easy trip to make."

"You don't honestly think there's traffic in space, do you?" asked Lily with a frown.

"Uh," started Frank and then looked awkwardly towards Max.

"I'm sure she'll be here any minute," said Max reassuringly. "Verdona hates being late."

Lily looked at her watch again. "Doesn't hate it too much, apparently."

A flash of magenta light flooded the room and for a moment a glowing being of pure energy floated just off the ground before it coalesced into the form of an elderly woman with gray hair and flawless complexion. A brief wave of force accompanied the transformation, which caused the lamps to rattle and the sound of shaking dishes to echo in from the dining room.

"Oh my, am I late?" Verdona said with a pleasant smile. She was wearing a lavender full-length skirt with a matching coat and pillbox hat. She looked like she had just stepped from a fifty year old photograph.

"Just barely, my dear," said Max quickly enough to cut off any comment from Lily.

"Max!" said Verdona as she turned and looked at him with a wide smile. She stepped up and touched the sides of his face tenderly. "I'm so glad that you're safe."

Max reached and gently took her hands in his own. "It's good to see you too," he said softly and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Hey, Mom," said Frank, walking slowly up to his parents.

Verdona turned and quickly swept Frank into a hug. "Frankie! How have you been?"

Frank laughed self-consciously as he pulled away. "Oh, you know, _busy_."

"Busy?" asked Verdona.

Frank motioned towards Ben casually. "My nephew has forced me into the forefront of a whole new set of case laws to deal with aliens and the massive collateral damage they cause." He shook his head. "It's a full time job just trying to keep people from trying to send Ben to jail for all the damage the aliens cause, to say nothing of the civil suits my associates handle."

"Sorry about that," said Ben, feeling a little embarrassed. "It's not always my fault."

"No, not always," said Frank. "And since our wonderful Federal Government refuses to acknowledge the existence of its own alien defense organization, I've managed to carve out a little shelter for you as the only capable peacekeeping force in the country. That should keep you safe for a little while."

"Thanks, Uncle Frank," said Ben.

"Hmm," mused Verdona. "Human politics are always so silly. I never understood how you people can ignore so much of what goes on in front of your eyes. Were it not for my husband and grandson, this planet would have been destroyed many times over, and yet they never receive the honors and prestige they deserve."

"Yes, us _humans_ are so silly," said Lily with a sneer. "Hello, Verdona."

Verdona smiled kindly. "Good to see you again, Natalie."

"The pleasures all yours," said Lily. "Please use the door next time. My living room is not a landing strip."

"Of course," said Verdona, still smiling.

Lily rolled her eyes and turned to walk out of the room. "I need to check on the roast."

Verdona watched her go then turned towards Ben and Julie. "Sorry, there, kids. I hadn't forgotten you." She swooped in with a hug for them too. "How are you both?"

"Fine, grandma," struggled Ben through the force of the hug.

"Very well, Ms. Tennyson," said Julie, equally as strained.

Verdona straightened herself. "Oh, you don't have to call me that, sweetie. Call me Verdona."

"Uh, okay, thank you... Verdona," said Julie.

"Ben told me you're a sports star?" asked Verdona.

Julie laughed lightly. "I play tennis. I'm not sure how much of a _star_ I am."

"Oh, so modest," said Verdona. She looked serious all of a sudden. "Don't let my grandson walk all over you with that attitude."

"No risk of that, Grandma—OW!" Ben rubbed his shoulder where Julie had punched it.

Verdona laughed and looked towards Ben. "Still running your mouth off in the wrong places?"

"Where's the right place?" asked Ben.

"So, where are Gwen and Kevin?" asked Verdona.

"They're ... away," said Ben. "Doing Plumber business. It's actually related to what I wanted to talk to you about tonight—"

"Oh, let's not get into that so soon!" interrupted Verdona suddenly. She wagged a finger at him. "Requests are dessert conversation and we haven't even started dinner yet!" She looked up in the direction of the kitchen. "Speaking of which, I wonder if there is anything I can do to help Natalie." She started walking out of the room.

"Uh, Mom, I'm not sure that's..." started Frank but Verdona swept out of the room without a hesitation. "Oh, this won't be good." He looked towards Max. "I hope you know what you're doing, Dad."

"This isn't my doing at all," admitted Max.

"Yeah, this dinner was Grandma Verdona's request," said Ben, uneasily.

"Why?" asked Frank desperately. Ben could only shrug in response.

**- (X) -**

Kai looked at the gun in her hand as if it were the most evil device on earth... or space. She had spent the last three hours trying to get the gun to stop working with her power and still it refused to listen to reason. She wondered what she was doing wrong. She could feel – distantly – the reactions going on inside the gun that was generating the plasma bolt, but she couldn't shut them down quick enough. They only existed for a split second before the gun fired and that wasn't enough time for her to neutralize it.

She could _slightly _feel the chemical reaction going on inside the battery that was generating the current, but she didn't know if she could affect a chemical and wasn't quite sure how to try. Kevin had told her to neutralize the battery, but did he understand what that meant? Did he know Petrastills well enough to ask her to neutralize a chemical?

She held up the gun towards the target at the other end of the cargo bay and concentrated on the gun. Just after she pulled the trigger the gun would flare up with energy, if she could anticipate the reaction and neutralize it ahead of time, she believed it would stop the gun from firing. The only problem was that she didn't know how to do that. How could she neutralize something that hadn't happened yet?

Tightly squeezing the trigger the gun flared up briefly and fired, sending a green bolt flying down the cargo bay and exploding against a large target on the other end. Kai sighed.

"Still not working, huh?"

Kai spun on her foot to see Phil standing behind her with his arms crossed. She couldn't figure out how he could have gotten so close without her hearing him.

"I told Levin he was jumping three levels with this crap," Phil continued, shaking his head. "Do you even understand the basic foundations of what you're doing?"

"What ... what do you mean?" asked Kai. She wasn't sure if she should be taking any advice from the ex-Plumber, but she was feeling more than a little frustrated by this exercise.

"How much do you know about physics?"

Kai stared. "Um, a little? I've gone to school. I haven't taken a Physics class yet, though."

"How about Einstein? E=mc squared?"

"Yeah, I know about that," said Kai. She knew... of the equation. She really didn't know what it meant.

"Okay, well, the equation says that energy equals mass times the speed of light squared," explained Phil. "Which implies - among a host of other things that Azmuth claims is all _wrong_ but at least doesn't object to this – that matter and energy are interchangeable. In short, _everything_ is energy in some form. Which means, everything is subject to your ability. Even the cells in your body."

Kai's mouth opened slightly. "Everything?" she said.

"Everything," said Phil. "Now, I don't know the limits to your species' power, but if you can control the decay of a star, you can probably set about slowing down the motion of molecules around you."

"I can control a star?" asked Kai. This was the first she'd heard of it.

"Walk before you run," said Phil, motioning towards the gun in Kai's hands. "I imagine you're having a hard time conceiving of what you're trying to do with that thing. Forget about the complexities of how the gun works and focus on something simpler. There is twenty yards of random air molecules and background radiation between you and that target, plenty of things to slow down and get in the way of that plasma bolt." He pointed. "Try again, and this time solidify the 'air' between you and the target."

"Solidify into what?" asked Kai, raising the gun towards the target again.

"It doesn't matter," saidPhil. "The point is to stop the motion of the subatomic particles. Think of a cube, sitting between you and the target, and stop the motion of everything in the cube. But don't think of fire or an explosion, and instead think of the fundamental building blocks of the universe. Everything is made of molecules, which are made of atoms, which are composed of subatomic particles. They're constantly in motion, moving so fast nobody can even guess where they are at. Normally when something comes at them, they move out the way to let that thing pass. Stop them. Make them hold their ground. Like an army of a billion, trillion soldiers, all standing up against a bully."

Kai closed her eyes again and tried to envision what Phil was describing. It was almost inconceivable that there was so much invisible stuff hanging out in the emptiness between her and the target.

But what if it was true? Was all that space filled with more than just air? Could AIR itself ever become strong enough to stop a gun? Was such a power within her ability? Would it hurt to try?

Kai let out her breath and believed there was a cube of ... _something_, filling up the space between her and the target. So much _something_ that it looked like a raging storm, a hurricane of invisible _things_. She reached out with her mind and asked that storm to slow. Just like she kept the fire from that match in suspense, she would touch each piece of _something_ and ask it to stop and wait for her cue to begin again. It didn't matter what that something was, she realized. She didn't understand how the Ultimatrix worked, after all, but she was able to control it subconsciously. Surely if she could do that, she could ask the _air_ to slow down a bit.

"Now fire," Phil's voice softly said, and Kai pulled the trigger.

She felt the bloom of heat from the gun and the recoil but then saw a flash of bright light beyond her eyelids and a second burst of hot air brushed against her face, surprising her. She let go of the storm and let it be controlled by whatever natural forces existed in the cargo bay. She opened her eyes slowly.

"Good job," said Phil with a smirk.

Kai saw nothing different but noticed a strangely strong ozone smell in the air that wasn't there before. The gun normally created a small amount of the odor when she fired, but this was much more intense and she scrunched up her nose in response.

"Not perfect," said Phil. "But you dramatically lessened the intensity of the blast."

"I wasn't looking," said Kai, and wondered what exactly had happened.

"It's just as well, the flash was much brighter than I thought it would be," said Phil. "The bolt ionized all the air in the cube and probably scattered much of the radiation as it was diffused. You should be wearing goggles." He paused. "Or a lead suit."

Kai swallowed nervously. "You don't think—"

"I'm sure it's fine," said Phil. "But it worked. If you can control that, and be able to do it on command, it would be better than wearing armor."

Kai started to smile at the accomplishment, but then Kevin's voice echoed from down the hall.

"Hey, you two!" said Kevin. "We're nearing the station, get back up here."

Kai stuck the gun in her pocket and ran towards the cockpit.

**- (X) -**

The sound of clattering dishes was sharp and sudden. Ben, Max, and Frank ran into the kitchen within seconds to see what had happened. They found Lily by the counter looking angrily at Verdona who was standing a few steps away with a blissful smile on her face. There was a stack of plates on the counter in front of Lily that appeared undamaged but looked as if they were just dropped from her hands.

"You had no _right_!" Lily shouted just as they were arriving.

"Don't be this way, Lily," Verdona said in a friendly manner. "It all worked out in the end. Everything is fine."

"Everything did _not_ work out! You're still flitting around the universe and I have to—" Lily trailed off as she looked at her husband and nephew entering the room. She closed her eyes briefly and sighed then wiped her hands on a towel.

"Please take care of this, Frank," she said softly before fleeing the room.

Max waited until Lily was gone before glaring at the Anodite. "Verdona," he said sternly.

"Oh, don't get that way," replied Verdona with a smile. "This is just girl talk. You boys needn't worry."

Julie cleared her throat. Verdona looked at her directly.

"This shouldn't be your concern for a long time, if ever," said Verdona, cryptically. Then she laughed lightly and slowly followed after Lily.

"Alright, dad, I've had enough," Frank said, looking to Max. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know, son," said Max. "I haven't really... been part of Verdona's life for quite a while."

"They've _always_ been at each other's throats!" said Frank, exasperated. "I let it lie because mom left Earth right after we married, but now it's like she directly antagonizing her."

"I wouldn't go so far—" started Max, but his son cut him off.

"Why else would she force this dinner on us?" asked Frank. "What does dinner with Lily and me have to do with _your_ battle with aliens."

"This is my fault," started Ben, but Frank waved him off just as quickly.

"No, it really isn't, Ben," Frank said. He looked at his father with a strangely pleading look. "We've all been silent for too long about this, and we can't let it go on forever. Without the Spark, we just don't matter to her."

"Hey!" Max looked angry. "Watch what you say about your _mother!_ She _raised_ you when I couldn't be around. She took you to school. Tended your wounds. Hosted your birthday parties. She _loved_ you, _and_ your brothers."

"She did what she was obligated to do, then left as soon as we were independent," said Frank.

"You have _no_ idea what you are talking about," said Max, his anger rising. Ben had never seen him look this furious before. "You have no idea what it was it was like for her. She's Anodite but she lived as a human for twenty years. She didn't just give up her freedom for you, she gave up her _identity_. Do you think that was easy? Do you think she would have done that for anyone?" He suddenly looked weary. "Do you think she would have done it just for me?"

The anger drained from Max's face and he moved to sit down by the breakfast table.

"Grandpa," said Ben, cautiously. Max suddenly looked terrible.

"You boys were off to have your own lives," said Max slowly. "Your own adventurers. You didn't need me or your mother dragging you down." He breathed slowly. "She didn't run out on you at all. She ran out on _me_."

"Dad..." Frank said.

"I knew you kids were bitter about it," said Max, looking down. "I tried to do my best to fill in for her. I left the Plumbers as soon as I could to be there every time you needed help." He reached out and put a hand on Ben's arm. "And be there for _your_ kids when _they_ needed help."

"You were, dad," said Frank, sounding regretful suddenly.

"But don't blame your mother," said Max. "It wasn't malicious, it was just her nature."

"Is that what you thought?" came a voice from the hall.

Max turned as Verdona returned from the back half of the house and stood just at the edge of the kitchen as it led towards the dining room. "You were always such a strong boy, I thought you could endure anything."

Max chuckled ruefully. "I'm not a boy anymore, Verdona. I wasn't when you left, either. I'm an old man now, and everything... well..."

Verdona came gracefully over and wrapped her arms around Max from behind, placing her head on her shoulder. "And so you ran, too," she said. "Into your RV and across the country."

"Only so they wouldn't see," said Max softly, motioning toward Frank. "I had friends everywhere thanks to the Plumbers. I could go and find new people to be around."

"So you wouldn't be alone," said Verdona. She tightened her grip around him and pressed her cheek against his. "You didn't have to be. You could have come with me."

"Someone had to stay, dear," admonished Max. "Or we would really have abandoned them."

"And so you wrapped yourself in your resolve to use as armor against the world while you ... died inside," said Verdona. "Oh, my dearest Max. So strong, and so weak at the same time. I didn't know."

"It's not as bad as you make it sound," said Max with a small smile. "Certainly not since our grandchildren were born. Love can come in many forms."

Verdona looked downwards and was silent. "Frankie," she said after a moment. "Go talk to Lily. She won't see me, but... she should talk to someone."

"What is this really about, mom?"

"She'll tell you," said Verdona. "She's ready to."

Frank sighed, frustrated, but left the kitchen the way Verdona came.

"Verdona...?" prompted Max, but she shook her head.

"I couldn't have stayed," she said. "I told you as much when we first met."

"I know," said Max. "That's why I never fought you on it. I could never have abandoned Earth anyway."

"I knew that as well," said Verdona. "So I never tried to convince you. But I should have." Verdona came around to kneel in front of Max's char. "We _should_ have fought."

"It would have ended the same way, it would have been futile," said Max.

"Isn't love futile sometimes?" asked Verdona with a hint of a smile. She caressed his face with her outstretched hand. "Oh, Max. At least you would have known. I never abandoned you. I carved out the piece of me that was inseparable from you and forced myself to leave it behind because there was no other way."

Max rested his hand on top of hers. "And now you're back, but I'm too old to change my ways anymore."

"Or too proud," chided Verdona lightly.

"Perhaps so," laughed Max. "These kids need me more than you do now." He looked into her eyes. "And they need you as well."

Verdona nodded. "Yawatacsip. The font of life. There are _legends_—"

"They're true," said Ben, stepping in. "There are people there, oppressed by an evil alien, and we need your help to save them."

"Gwen is there now, I take it?" said Verdona, turning towards Ben.

Ben nodded. "Scouting ahead to lay the groundwork for our arrival. We need Anodyne's help, and to find a way to lure Brozz in."

"What's Brozz?" asked Verdona.

"A Chamatronian," said Max.

Verdona looked shocked. "Surely not."

"I've seen him in person, a little closer than I would have liked as well," said Max, rubbing his side.

She looked at him with a compassionate look. "Much that is myth is coming true today. I wonder if it is an omen." She frowned then turned to look at Ben and, specifically, his Ultimatrix. "For all the weight you bore on your shoulders, Max, our grandson carries that much more on his wrist."

"I can handle it," said Ben confidently. Julie then poked him in the side. "With help, I mean."

"You needn't be overly brave," said Verdona. "Don't follow your grandfather's example too closely. Let your friends support you."

"We do," said Julie with a smile. "He'd be lost without us."

Ben sighed loudly and Julie punched him playfully in the arm. "Ow," he said. "Anyway, Gwen and Kevin need that advice more than me."

"Oh, I'll have words with them before this is all over," said Verdona waving her finger at them.

"_Please_ wait until it is actually all over before you do that," said Max. "We still need to beat Brozz."

"Very well," said Verdona in a dispassionate tone that was betrayed by her impish grin. "Just tell me where and when, and I'll yoke the Beasts of Wendiliu if I have to in order to help."

"Uh, thanks?" said Ben. "What's a Beast of Wendiliu?"

"Oh, it's a great legend," said Verdona, who then hopped onto Max's lap. "Hopefully you haven't actually run into one yet. Are you sure you haven't seen a three-headed, two-tailed, sixteen-legged, twelve story tall, African wildcat in your adventures?"

"Er, no." Ben stared. "I think I'd remember if I had."

**- (X) -**

Kevin, Phil and Kai sat in the Captain's office at the Plumber's Academy opposite a black desk where a tall, green skinned humanoid with an equally green Mohawk sat. He was looking over floating holographic screens and occasionally flicking data from one to another or off the edge of the windows altogether.

"Sorry to interrupt, Korwak," said Phil to the Captain, diplomatically. "I'm sure you're busy with all these cadets."

Korwak made a half-smile. "I always have time for friends of Max."

Phil grumbled something incomprehensible under his breath.

"Just let me finish dealing with these student issues," he continued. "We've had a large influx of new cadets to fill our ranks since the Highbreed Genocide and it hasn't been easy coping with so many at once. Discipline has been difficult for the _other_ Academies to maintain."

"But not here?" asked Kevin.

"There is a natural order to things," said Korwak as he began closing windows. "Chaos happens when you fail to recognize that pattern and try to use your own. Discipline is not formulaic, it is adaptive, and proper control can only be maintained when you understand."

"And you do," said Kevin.

"I do," grinned Korwak as the last of the windows vanished. "But it requires a lot of diligence to maintain. Thus..." he motioned to where the windows had previously floated. "Busy."

"We don't need much of your time," said Kevin. "Just access to a public terminal with Plumber Codex authority."

Korwak studied Kevin and Kai for a moment then leaned slightly back in his chair. "Your badge has Codex access. Why isn't this enough?"

"It's restricted," said Kevin.

"So would any terminal I gave you access to," said Korwak. "In fact, there is no advantage gained from using one of my Academy's terminals except, perhaps, the anonymity of your actions not being connected to your badge. But that wouldn't be of any use unless you were planning on doing something that you didn't want traced back to you." He bridged his fingers across his lap. "So, I ask again: Why isn't your badge's access enough?"

"It's...got a larger screen," said Kevin.

Korwak's eyes flicked towards Phil once then settled back at Kevin. "I'm familiar with your file, Levin. Your past is ... to put it diplomatically: colorful."

"I've been around," said Kevin.

"Yes you have," nodded Korwak, who then leaned forward and summoned a new screen on his desk. "Been places I'd never wish on my students, in fact. And yet, through great luck, you've ended up in the company of Ben Tennyson where most people would lose you in the shadow of the Bearer of the Omnitrix."

With a frown, Korwak folded his arms. "_Most_ people."

"Yeah, I get it, you don't like my criminal record," said Kevin. "But I'm working for the good guys now. I'm legit."

"Oh, your allegiances aren't in doubt," said Korwak. "It's your methods." He turned towards Phil. "All of your methods."

"Ben Tennyson has vouched for all of us," said Phil. "Where do you get off giving us the stink eye?"

"Ben Tennyson is a child," said Korwak. "He is capable, impressively so, but his track record points to a certain amount of... flawed judgment. How do I know you are trustworthy? You may claim devotion to 'good,' but if you use unjust methods to accomplish your goals, then justice has lost in the end."

"What do you want from me?" asked Kevin. "By your logic nobody deserves a second chance."

"Second chances are given in controlled conditions," said Korwak. "Anybody can claim to be turning a new leaf, so it always pays to be cautious." He pointed a finger at Kevin. "What I want from you is the truth. Stop lying to me and tell me what you intend to do with my terminals."

Kevin looked to Phil who shrugged and then to Kai who appeared to have turned into a terrified-looking statue during the conversation. With a sigh, Kevin pulled out his Plumber's badge and pressed the faceplate, revealing a holographic picture of Brozz.

"We need to know everything about this guy," said Kevin. "But every search I make on him comes back 'Classified.'"

Korwak looked at the figure briefly. "Why?"

"I don't know, because someone is hiding the information?" said Kevin.

Korwak rolled his eyes. "Why do you need to know about him?"

"Because he's trying to destroy our _planet_!"

For several moments, Korwak was silent, his expression unreadable. Then he pressed a panel on his desk and the screens vanished once more. "And your intent here was what? To compromise Codex to get the information you wanted?"

"My intent is to do whatever is necessary to save my planet," said Kevin, angrily.

Korwak nodded then stood and paced around his desk to stand in front of Kevin. "I've seen a lot of terrible things done in the service of 'whatever is necessary to save something.'" He folded his arms again. "There are proper channels to request the declassification of information, which is something you'd know if any of you Earth Plumbers had been required to come to the Academy."

"We don't exactly have a lot of time for proper channels," said Phil. "That beast could come back at any moment and he's aiming to destroy Earth."

"There is always time for proper channels," said Korwak, dismissively. "You think you're the only ones in a bind? We are _Plumbers_. If we're active, we're dealing with threats both large and colossal. Why are you so special? Did you ever consider that while security is being rebuilt in the Codex after your infiltration, some _other_ Plumber may be denied the information they need. What if that Plumber is trying to save a star system? Or the galaxy?" He shook his head and then reached to take Kevin's badge, still showing the picture of Brozz.

"The channels exist not to slow you down with bureaucratic nonsense, but to make sure everyone gets what they need, when they need it, without childish line jumping," said Korwak. He walked back around his desk and placed the badge on the surface. Immediately several screens sprang to life around it, many showing the red bar of the 'Classified' tag. He waved his hands and the red vanished and was replaced with scrolling text and squared pictures.

A few moments passed and then Korwak's brows raised and he looked slightly agast.

"This criminal is at large again?" he said suddenly.

"Yeah, he showed up a few days ago and tore up parts of North America," said Kevin. "We tried to stop him but he sort of... well, he escaped."

Korwak sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking vacantly at the floating screens. "That explains Chairman Ion."

"I thought he was retired from Central Command," said Phil. "When I was a Plumber, the Chairman was Lorbil."

"Chairman Lorbil was Chairman Ion's successor," said Korwak, looked down at Phil. "Ion was murdered last week and his personal transport stolen." He tapped one of the screens and it spun around to face Kevin, Kai, and Phil. "The damage was extensive and the GP was unsure who could have caused it. I'm sure if they knew Brozz was loose again, they would have connected the dots."

Kevin looked at the screen showing the picture of Ion and ship. To his surprise, he recognized both. "That's how Brozz looked when he showed up on Earth," he said, pointing to the picture of Ion. "He must have stolen his appearance... I don't know why, though."

"Revenge," said Phil. "Ion always loved the Tennysons, and he was the one who was chasing Brozz when he first landed on Earth." He shook his head. "Since he was retired, he probably wasn't being protected as closely as he used to be when he was a Commodore or Chairman."

Korwak nodded. "I would guess that as well. Ion's connection to Brozz was well known, as well as his love of Earth."

"That's Thermian design," said Kevin, pointing to the second picture. "The cruiser? I think that landed on Earth." He looked to Kai. "It left those imprints at the burial grounds he first disrupted."

"Heritage sites," said Kai.

"Whatever."

"Why take a ship, though?" asked Phil. "At his power level, with Paradox's abilities, he could be anywhere, any when. Why steal a cruiser? And where is that cruiser now?"

Korwak studied Kevin, Phil, and Kai intensely. "Central Command knows Brozz has attacked Earth?"

"I reported it myself," said Phil.

Korwak moved his fingers over the screens, tossing text to the side and summoning up new data. He looked at the stream of blue text closely. "This is ... unusual."

"Unusual?" asked Kevin.

"Normally—" started Korwak but he was suddenly interrupted by a melodic tone followed by a screen appearing showing large green text in a language Kevin didn't recognize.

Korwak looked startled and then reached under his desk and pulled out a small grey rectangle that he held up to his ear. "Yes, Chairman?" he said as his eyes darted about the room.

Kevin looked worriedly at Phil who returned a concerned gaze.

"No, sir, I'm with Kevin Levin," said Korwak. Now he was looked directly at Kevin with a frown. After a moment, his eyes widened slightly. "Yes, sir, he's here as well." He hesitated. "I'll make sure. Thank you, sir." Then he put the rectangle down on his desk and stared at it stiffly.

"What's going on?" asked Phil.

Korwak looked up like a deer in the headlights which was the least menacing expression he'd worn yet. Then he jumped out of his chair, grabbed the Plumber's badge on his desk, and began quickly walking over to Kevin. Roughly, he took Kevin's hand and shoved the badge back into it.

"You need to get out of here," said Korwak and he began pushing Kevin and company towards the door.

Kevin motioned for Kai to follow as they walked quickly through the halls of the Academy. "Something's gone wrong, then," he said.

"I've been asked to detain you all," said Korwak. "While other Plumbers come to get you."

Kevin pulled his arm from Korwak's grip and glared at him. "What?" he shouted loudly.

Korwak growled and grabbed Kevin's arm again and pulled him along. "I'm not going to do it!" he growled.

"Why?" asked Phil. "You didn't like us."

"I never said that at all," said Korwak as they turned a corner towards the docking ring. "In fact, I told you from the start that I _always_ had time for friends of Max." He brought them to a corner and stopped to peer around. He held them back with a motion from his hand. "I may disapprove of his methods, but Max has been – with a few _obvious_ exceptions – an excellent judge of character."

Phil raised an eyebrow. "You're talking about me, aren't you?"

Korwak ignored him. "There are no records of your report that Brozz is free again, and, in fact, there _appears_ to be misinformation in the report on Chairman Ion's death. Someone is covering something up, and based on that call I just got, Lorbil is involved."

"You're defying the Chairman for us?" asked Kai.

Korwak peered around the corner and then pulled Kevin along again. The rest of the team followed closely.

"I'm responding to someone trying to subvert the process," said Korwak.

"Isn't _this_ also subverting the process?" asked Kevin.

"This is an exception routine for when the process fails," said Korwak quickly. "And I'm not comfortable with the Chairman doling out justice on his own in secret. We all heard the stories about Brozz, he's not the kind of criminal you play games with."

They reached the docking ring and Korwak stopped at a console to enter in his security code. "Head back to your ship and get out of here. I don't doubt that we're minutes from people showing up here to grab you."

Kevin and Phil started running towards the Rustbucket III, but Kevin hesitated when he noticed Kai wasn't with them. He stopped and turned back.

"What's going to happen to you?" asked Kai to Korwak. "You should come with us if you're going to get in trouble."

Korwak smiled. "My students are more important," he said. "Don't worry, not even the Chairman can do much to me out here."

Kai seemed uneasy. "Are you sure?"

"Go now, and find out what's going on," said Korwak. "That's the best thing you can do for me. Figure out if something illegal is happening and expose it. That's the way you really protect people."

With a slow nod, Kai eventually turned and joined up with Kai and Phil as they ran to the ship.

**- (X) -**

The actual meal at Gwen's parents' house was dreadfully silent. Ben watched his family closely, with Julie eating quietly beside him. On his other side was Max, who was perhaps just as curious as he was, while Verdona, beside him, seemed cheerful as always. Lily and Frank, however, moved mechanically and only spoke when passing dishes from person to person.

"This is a wonderful meal, Lily," said Verdona spontaneously. "It's one of the things I always forget about when I'm not in this form: how wonderful eating physical food is."

Lily grunted.

"What do you eat when you're on Anodyne?" Ben tried desperately to lighten the mood.

"There isn't a real need to," explained Verdona. "Mana is pervasive throughout the universe. After infancy, we absorb the energy around us as a means of replenishing what we use. It's only because the human form is so complicated that we need to eat or sleep."

"You don't sleep?" asked Julie, playing along.

"Not in my natural form," said Verdona. "But this human body needs it, so I've developed a taste for it. It's actually quite calming. And eating is fun, though not as efficient at restoring lost energy as absorbing mana directly." Her wan smile turned slightly more heartfelt as she reached out and placed a gentle hand on Max's shoulder. "Your Grandpa found some creative ways of getting the extra energy I needed into our meals."

"And you were quite patient with all my culinary experiments," smiled Max.

Ben nodded, then stopped and frowned confusingly. Across the table, Frank suddenly looked up and dropped his fork on his plate. "Wait. What?"

"Normal foods were not being digested properly," explained Max. "She was tired all the time and losing energy. We had to find different meals to make that weren't always available at the supermarket."

"S-so... all the earthworms, and the odd seeds, and the grass... all that was for mom?" said Frank, his eyes wide.

"Of course," said Max in a matter-of-fact tone. "It wasn't Plumber food. Most stuff they serve at the Academy comes in a cube."

"Ugh, I can vouch for that," said Ben, remembering his brief visit there last year to get Manny, Helen, and Pierce admitted. "But... you _still_ eat that way. Grandma Verdona hasn't been around for years!"

"I didn't cook it just for Verdona," said Max. "Besides, after twenty-five years, I came to really like it."

The table, save for Verdona, stared at Max, dumbfounded.

"Never do that to me," Ben whispered to Julie. "_Please_."

Julie ignored him. "Does that mean Gwen doesn't need to eat either?" she asked.

"As long as she has a physical form she does," said Verdona. She looked towards Lily. "And unlike me, she has a fully working normal human body which can digest food properly."

Lily grumbled something about being 'normal' but Ben couldn't catch it.

Turning back towards Julie, Verdona continued, "Though once she sheds that form, she'll be able to exist on ambient mana just like me."

Lily slammed her fork down on the table. "She's not going to _shed_ her body! She doesn't _have_ a normal human form, she _is_ a normal human."

"Only on the outside, dear," said Verdona with a smile.

"_All the way through_," Lily growled at her mother in law. "You don't get to take her from me. She's going to be human!"

"That's far beyond either of our control at this point," said Verdona. "Even if she chooses to limit herself to this existence, her body will grow old and die when her spark is still young. Unless you expect her to voluntarily extinguish her essence at that point, she will eventually take on her Anodite form for good. You don't want her to kill herself, do you?"

"How _dare _you ask me that?" said Lily. "You tried to kill her!"

"I only tried to reveal her potential," said Verdona. "And it worked. She knows now, and she has – despite your protests – embraced it."

"What?" spat Lily.

"She's taken on Anodite form several times by now," said Verdona. "I could feel it each time. Even across the vast distances of the galaxy I could sense my granddaughters. She knows the power that form holds for her. Do you really expect her to forget now?"

Lily clutched her napkin in her fist so hard her knuckles turned white.

"Lil'," said Frank softly.

"How could you just sit there?" Lily suddenly turned on her husband. "She's our daughter!"

Frank nodded and placed his hand on top of his wife's. "And she'll always be our daughter, no matter what form she takes. And while I _vehemently_ disagree with what mom did," he shot a sharp look at Verdona. "Even I can see that our influence on Gwen is waning, even if she didn't know of her Anodite nature. She's growing up, faster than we could ever have hoped for. We can't force her to forget all this any more than my mother could force Gwen to come to Anodyne. She's her own girl now, and deserves that respect."

Lily looked stricken and some of the anger drained out of her face as she stared searching at her husband. Her eyes darted around his face until they finally closed and she sighed and shook her head slowly.

There was more silence in the room as everyone held there breath for what the next retort would be.

Lily eventually raised her head again and spoke.

"Does anyone want Dessert?"

-(X)-

Max gently grabbed his wife and pulled her into the living room after the pies had been cleared away. Ben and Julie discretely followed, thinking that if they weren't invited, they would be told to leave. Max didn't protest.

Once out of earshot of Lily and Frank again, Max looked serious, and frustrated. "Why was this necessary, Verdona?" he asked pointedly.

"I wanted to see my family again," said Verdona with a smile.

"_Stop it_," said Max.

Verdona's smile mostly faded and she looked mildly at Ben. "There's no way anyone on Anodyne will help you with Brozz." Her voice was steady and stern. "I'm sorry, Ben, but your ... _actions_ with the Highbreed were both noble and heroic, but not universally accepted." She sighed after a moment and then sat down on the couch.

"Anodyne doesn't like me?" asked Ben, genuinely surprised.

"Some don't, because of what you did," said Verdona. "The level of forced genetic change on a species that you enacted was... under other circumstances it would be criminal. You had no right to do that to them, and only the fact that they were two short steps away from conquering the galaxy has kept anyone from confronting you with that."

Ben paled. He was considered a criminal?

"Then there are those who hate you for what you didn't do," continued Verdona. "The Highbreed were vicious conquerors who spared no remorse for the people they killed or how they killed them. Many believed they deserved to be wiped out entirely. That saving them was akin to forgiving their savage rampage. They would have seen you commit genocide and called it good."

Verdona's smile became warmer again. "I, for one, do not agree with either of these opinions, but I'm obviously biased."

Ben nodded but hung his head. Julie gently stroked his back.

"I don't feel it was within your right to do anything else but what you did. You were never chosen to be the galaxy's defender, leader, or executioner. Your solution was the best compromise in a murky situation. But, on Anodyne at least, the tolerant view is in the minority. I am the only support you'll likely have."

Ben sighed. "Thanks for trying, Grandma."

"Don't lose hope yet!" said Verdona. She almost seemed cheerful now. "I think you and Gwen have underestimated what one Anodite can do. If it's raw mana you need, then you don't need more than me."

Max frowned deeper. "But Brozz has evolved so rapidly—"

"I'm no spring chicken, dear," Verdona cut Max off. "As I'm sure you already know! I have a few tricks left up my sleeve to control the local mana flows. I promise you, you'll have all the power you need for your spell."

"So you'll help us?" said Ben.

"Of course," nodded Verdona. "Did you doubt it?"

Ben breathed a sigh of relief. "And you're sure you'll be enough on your own?"

"Gwen may fear being overcome by the power, but I am more than capable of handling it," assured Verdona. "I'll be ready when you need me."

Ben moved forward and hugged his grandmother. "Thank you, Grandma." She wrapped her arms around him softly as well.

After a moment, they released one another and Ben straightened. Verdona looked towards the kitchen. "Why don't you go help your Aunt and Uncle with the dinner plates?"

Ben nodded and took Julie's hand to head into the kitchen.

- ( X ) -

Max watched his grandchildren go, leaving him alone with Verdona. His wife, once upon a great long time ago, but now perhaps as much strangers as when they meet near that airbase.

"Still lying to our children," observed Max quietly.

"Hush you," said Verdona playfully. "Like you did any better before the Omnitrix fell on Ben's wrist."

"I only hid what they didn't need to know," said Max.

Verdona turned and took Max's hands in her own. "That's all I'm doing here."

Max's expression softened. "What's really going on?"

Verdona took a deep breath. "I never wanted to be away from them, or you. But nature was irresistible. Though I did try, for a very long time."

"You could have come back," said Max. "Visited."

"And then leave again?" she said wistfully. "No, that hurt too much the one time. To keep doing it would be... it would be too much." She shook her head. "You were the brave one, Max, not me. I couldn't bear the thought of going through that over and over again. I ran away. A coward."

Max slid his arms around the waist of his once lover and held her close. "I wouldn't go that far."

Verdona leaned her head on Max's shoulder. "You don't know. I took the easy way out when I should have known better. Twenty five years as a human and learned nothing."

"So, fighting with our son and daughter-in-law was your way of reconnecting?" asked Max, confused.

"It was a... precaution," Verdona said uneasily. "Just in case."

Max's eyes widened and he pushed Verdona slightly away so he could look into her eyes. They were red and she was crying, to his surprise. "Just in case... what?"

Verdona gently placed her fingertips on Max's cheek. "You've been doing this for so long, Max. You know what I mean."

Max's jaw dropped slightly. "You don't think you'll get another chance?"

With a steeled expression, Verdona nodded. "There are limits to what even a matriarch like me can channel. I have far more ability than our granddaughters, but even I could lose myself in the flow. I won't let our grandson down, though. Even if it costs me everything, I'll make ever drop of mana in the universe available to him."

"Oh... Verdona..." said Max sadly.

"Shh," hushed Verdona. "Don't let them hear."

"There must be another way," said Max.

"You've faced this choice before," said Verdona. "I've seen you make it time and time again. You always put our family above yourself. It's just my turn."

Max opened his mouth to retort but couldn't honestly contest her. He HAD always taken the responsibility upon his shoulder. He always made the choice to be the sacrifice instead of others. It just had always worked out in favor in the past. Sure there were many close calls, but he made it through.

Just like Verdona might make it through this.

With a sinking feeling, he held his wife close to him once more. He wasn't sure, after all this time, if he should still consider her his wife given the separation, but, right now, the clarity came to him. She would always be his. Just like he never stopped being hers.

Max swallowed the lump in his throat and brought down the mask again, the one he wore to hide his work from his family for so long. He wouldn't betray Verdona's choice to Ben and Julie.

"I do have one question," Max spoke softly into her ear.

Verdona nuzzled against his cheek. "What is it?"

"You keep saying _granddaughters_," said Max. "When you're referring to Gwen."

Verdona perked her head up and looked at Max. "You mean you haven't heard about Sunny?"


	12. Chapter 11 The Backup

_Author's Note: Well, I'm pretty screwed now. I don't know where to go after this chapter. Hopefully I figure it out before next Saturday. Please forgive any spelling errors, I'm desperately trying to keep up with my schedule._

**Chapter 11 – The Backup**

_August 11, 1970 (approximately)_

_New Glowerton, Alatraxia_

The angular cottage, nestled into the side of Mount Sorei and surrounded by pallo trees, was surprisingly understated given who lived within. Covered in earthy tones and barely peeking out past the tree line at its highest point, it could easily be missed were it not for the road leading up from the town.

Magister Labrid had followed the paved path to the cottage on his cruiser to avoid the disruption of crashing through the trees. While that choice had added several minutes onto his trip, it was a fairly peaceful ride under the afternoon sun. He was glad the chairman lived on a planet where he didn't have to wear his helmet all the time and could actually breathe in the fresh fluorine.

After landing his cruiser by the house, Labrid walked up to the porch to find the chairman sitting on a crystalline recliner, reading something on a transparent titanium info-slab.

"Chairman," said Labrid as he saluted.

Ion, the lumerian sitting in the chair, smiled kindly and laid his info-slab on his lap. "I'm retired, son. There's no need for that."

Labrid lowered his arms but shook his head. "My apologizes, sir, but, I'm afraid I must. Your standing was codified upon your retirement."

Ion chuckled ruefully. "I know," he said slowly. "So what brings a young Magister all this way to Alatraxia."

"Tennyson, sir," said Labrid. He pulled his portable info-slab from its holster at his side and called up the Academy registration in question. "He's a Plumber now."

Ion's smile faded slightly and he waved the Magister forward. Labril held out the info-slab showing Max Tennyson's face and information.

"His son," said Ion with a nod. "What does Jeffrey think?"

"Loudly and extremely angrily," said Labrid with a sigh. "I think there is some sort of rule in that family that they're not allowed to talk to each other directly because he keeps insisting _I_ should be convincing his son not to join."

Ion laughed. "That sounds about right. Despite his talents, he never had much love for the Plumbers."

"Be that as it may, Max is quite capable," said Labrid with a nod. He rubbed the back of his eye stalks. "Given the nature of Jeffrey's retirement, I have... _classified _certaininformation about Earth's involvement in the Plumbers. He doesn't even suspect his father was once a member."

"That was Jeffrey's wish," said Ion.

"That includes the two time travelers," said Labrid.

Ion turned his head and slightly darkened as more of the ambient light of the porch was absorbed into his body. "You don't think we should be hiding it."

"Sir, with all due respect to the decisions made by yourself and Jeffrey, they were from the future, and they _knew_ about _Brozz_. That implies that he escapes once more and returns to Earth." Labrid shook his head. "We are putting him in danger by not telling him."

Ion sat quietly for a moment, staring towards the setting sun. He brightened just a bit after a minute and stood, folding his hands behind his back.

"I believe it to be my greatest failure," Ion then said. "That I couldn't protect his family."

"Jeffrey's?" asked Labrid.

"Wilbur's," replied Ion. "Nearly as long as I've been a Plumber there's been a Tennyson on Earth and Brozz in prison and I've never successfully kept them apart. What good is any of this if we can't keep a single prisoner contained."

"Your own assessment admits we could not have known how powerful he would become," reminded Labrid. "And by the time we did realize, it was far too late."

"Isn't that a condemnation, though?" said Ion, turning toward Labrid. "I failed to assess what became Earth's greatest risk. And only the genius of a family of humans that placed justice and honor above their own lives has kept him from running rampant."

Labrid slowly nodded along but said nothing.

"Perhaps, though, we finally have a chance," said Ion, steeling himself. "All those times we thought we'd finally found the solution, the way to keep him contained, only to be surprised when he broke loose one more. Now we know it's not enough. And we know, to an extent, when it will happen again."

"What can we do about that?" asked Labrid. "It's quite a long time from now."

Ion smiled warmly again. "We create a contingency. We know he's coming back." He looked back out at the setting sun. "This time we'll be ready for him."

**-(X)-**

July 13, 2010

Bellwood, California

The impact against the barrier she erected was harder than she imagined a speeding train would have been, and it took all of Gwen's will to keep it from shattering completely. As it was, she only kept the barrier up a half second longer than she needed to dive away and avoid the inevitable second attack.

Hearing the crash behind her, Gwen quickly checked over her shoulder to see where Brozz was and whether Charmcaster had emerged from the portal yet. She saw the hulking beast no more than a dozen feet to the side and no sign of the spellcaster. She breathed a sigh of relief that Charmcaster hadn't gotten pummeled, but was more than a little puzzled as to where she had gone.

Or for that matter, where Kevin, Ben, and the rest of the Plumbers were. A quick glance to the sky said it was either dawn or dusk, but no indication if it was the same night, the next morning, or another day altogether.

Brozz turned towards her in an instant and pushed off the ground in her direction. In a panic, Gwen threw up another barrier, angled upwards, in the hope of causing the brute to deflect. The wall was only mostly created by the time the Chamatronian struck it, and it shattered like glass. The reflexive flow of mana back into her body caused Gwen's stomach to turn and she gritted her teeth to keep it down long enough to scramble away.

With a lightning-quick snap of his arm, Brozz's hand was wrapping around Gwen's leg anddragging her upwards. She tried focus her will through the pounding of her heart and terror sweeping through her skull, and flung several bolts of mana directly into Brozz's eyes in defense.

The shots barely fazed him and he shrugged off the momentarily dizziness. Gwen felt the world lurch as he flung her into the air and landed roughly beside the Door to Anywhere, which was still standing open and swirling. She felt the gentle pull from beyond the gateway as she tried to get back to her feet.

Brozz grinned at her as he quickly moved to close the distance between them, his large, muscular arms swinging menacingly around his huge frame.

Gwen swallowed and contemplated her options. She could run, but with Paradox' powers, Brozz could easily catch up. She could run back into the Door, but if Brozz followed her before the Cult of Archamada was ready for him, there was a chance that would only make things worse. Fighting was not currently going particularly well, but least she was getting a chance to catch her breath now. She just wished she knew of any of Brozz's weaknesses other than an apparent lack of understanding of how much Paradox's powers could have made him a god.

It would be best that she not let him into that secret.

Bringing up her hands before her, Gwen summoned her mana to form a thick cylinder around Brozz to try and contain him. She knew directly affecting him with her mana was a loser's game, but she didn't have time to reference her spellbook.

Brozz stopped and looked at the mana wall and shook his head with a look of pity. His fist rose into the air and came down onto the cylinder with a devastating slam. Gwen immediately felt the tingling up her arms as her magic rebounded against the impact. The sick feeling in her gut returned with a vengeance but her barrier held.

The beast struck the wall a second time and Gwen felt weak in the knees.

"You're only delaying the inevitable," said Brozz as he raised his fist a third time. "No one can stand against me."

"My family's been doing a pretty good job of it so far," said Gwen. Her voice faltered a little as Brozz struck again.

"Don't be sentimental," said Brozz with a laugh. "I'm still here, and I've crushed at least eight of your puny ancestors." His fist slammed against the cylinder and this time left a crack.

Gwen could no longer keep herself upright and fell to her knees. This was also a losing battle. She needed another option, but she couldn't think of anything. Teleporting could get her away but it would take too long to cast. "And _how_ much time have you spent in jail?"

"Mere moments in the grand scheme," said Brozz.

"And once we're all dead? What's next?" asked Gwen.

Brozz smiled. "Something else." He pounded again on the magenta wall.

Shaking, Gwen lowered one hand to hold herself up while the other maintained the barrier. Talking wasn't helping. There was no grander motivation to dissect, no apparent guilt or concern. Brozz was the most powerful simpleton in the galaxy.

_Escape!_ Gwen's mind shouted at her, but she wasn't quite sure how to do that. She just didn't have enough power to hold Brozz off while getting away.

Or did she?

Brozz's fist burst through the cylindrical barrier and it all began crumbling around him. There was no time left. No other options. Gwen reached deep within herself and _yanked_.

The world shifted and she felt her Anodite form emerge like a cocoon from the shell of her small physical body. The meaningless concerns of presence and weight and concern melted off her and she felt clean and pure, as if her life had been holding her back for an eternity. Her fatigue vanished and she began to forget what fatigue even felt like. What a laughably limited concern it was. Why would anyone put up with such an inefficient body was beyond her.

A force intersected her being and she immediately became aware of the presence of a hulking moron, and aware of her error in dismissing him. She felt her existence shudder and her form threaten to collapse. Brozz was dangerously powerful, and his fist carried not just physical weight but the unconscious force of a being so advanced he had shed his connection with linear time.

In short, she was just punched, and it hurt. _A lot_.

"I don't fear Anodites," said Brozz with a laugh.

_Oh, but you should_, thought Gwen. She considered speaking, but what was the point? _You are small to me._

Summoning the mana around her, Gwen soaked in the life force of the park, twisting it into a simple lance and positioned it in front of Brozz's face. The idiot simply stared at it as if it were a weed. Gwen could hardly care less if he could recognize his impending doom.

With a flick of her wrists she drove the lance forward with the force of a train into Brozz's face. He took the blow like a chump and was flung far into the air as the land splintered against his skull. Gwen reached out and redirected the shards of mana back toward Brozz, pummeling him with the debris even as the lance continued to drive through his head. The whole attack took seconds and left Brozz flying rapidly into the ground, his head and shoulders covered in steam.

The earth shook as he hit and tumbled head over feet for twenty yards, tearing up the grass as he rolled, before coming to a rough stop covered in dirt.

_Get up from THAT_, thought Gwen, smugly.

Then he did.

**-(X)-**

September 7, 1991 (approximately)

Xenon

Ion lowered himself down into the gently floating chair and quietly sped away towards the small hut located on the lush planet of Xenon. He didn't have far to go, but the humid planet dominated with nitrogen and oxygen was already giving him troubles breathing. He wouldn't be able to stay outdoors for long, and even in an environmentally controlled room, he wasn't sure he could spend much more than an hour or so on the planet at all.

There was a time, long ago, when he would barely notice the difference between his home planet and a moist one like Earth. But that was long before he retired, before the injuries had accumulated enough to give him sag-lung and a need to constantly live under the threat of drowning in his own body.

He arrived at the abode and realized he'd have to walk (or even crouch) to get inside. With a labored sigh, he lifted himself off the chair and onto the soft soil. With only a few grunts he put a hand down and slowly crawled through the small doorway.

Inside the hut, the ceilings were tall enough for Ion to straighten his back and he took a deep breath as he unfolded himself in the living room. A short, gray figure with large eyes and wearing a brown robe walked in from an adjacent room and put his hands on his hips.

"Chairman," said Azmuth.

"Retired," said Ion as he stretched his legs in front of himself. "Just call me Ion."

"Yes, I'm retired too, which is why I'm surprised to see someone from the Plumbers here," said Azmuth making his irritation plainly apparent.

"We both still have duties to perform," said Ion with a smile.

"Not me. I'm through." Azmuth swung his hand forcefully across his body. "I've given too much to this galaxy to get nothing in return. I want nothing more to do with it."

"The universe is a dimmer place without your genius, Azmuth," said Ion. "You are not nearly as old as I am, you still can do more."

"You? When you were a tadpole I was millennia old," snapped Azmuth. "Don't compare yourself to me. I've seen _stars_ die."

"And I'm sure you wept at their passing all the same," said Ion. "Our experiences are relative to our existence. I have a handful of years left, but you will go on for many more."

"Many more miserable, lonely ones," said Azmuth, looking down. He sighed and rubbed the back his head idly. "You once came to me and spoke of regret. Do you still feel that way?"

"I do," nodded Ion. "But we have not yet finished our work. Brozz is still a threat."

Azmuth sighed and looked up. "Have I ever told you of _my_ regret?"

Ion shook his head silently.

Azmuth turned and walked over to a bench where a large (relative to Azmuth's diminutive size) green bracelet sat with a white Plumber's symbol etched upon its surface. He ran his hand over the smooth inner surface.

"She hated the weapons I had made," said Azmuth. "They weren't all weapons, of course, but she could see all the ways they could be abused if they had fallen into the wrong hands. I... was reluctant to subscribe to her point of view. I was in it for the science, naturally. I only cared if it could be done, not what was done with it when I was finished."

Azmuth slowly detached the nest of wires connected to the green ring. "She said I was being reckless. She said doing the wrong thing for good reasons was still wrong." He lifted the bracelet up and walked over to Ion. "She was right." He uncoupled the bracelet into two parts and gently reattached them around the former Chairman's wrist.

He patted the bracelet gently as he stared at the symbol on its surface. "I built a terraforming device. A relatively simple accomplishment, but it was a gesture to her that I could do things to help others. It could turn any habitable planet into a reasonable facsimile of Galvan. A Galvan 'Prime', so to speak. No buildings or structures of course, but the geography, the atmospheric conditions. A blank slate world for my people who have never been too comfortable on other worlds."

Ion stared. "I never heard of this," he said. "You can clone planets?"

"Could," said Azmuth. "The device doesn't exist anymore. It was destroyed. _She_ destroyed it to stop it from being used on a planet with life already on it." He closed his eyes. "She destroyed herself in the process."

Ion's eyes widened as the small scientist wiped his eyes even though there were no sign of tears.

"It wasn't quick," Azmuth whispered. "The cascade reaction was never intended to be exposed to intelligent organic life. It deformed her, reorganized her at a cellular..." he trailed off, apparently unable to continue.

"I'm sorry," said Ion.

Azmuth shook his head. "Passion is a force greater than black holes. She couldn't stand by and let an atrocity go unchallenged. And she died for her morality." He chuckled ruefully. "And yet, even now, I continue to shame her memory." He pressed his finger into the Plumber symbol on the bracelet and it glowed green for an instant before exploding in a brilliant wave of light that rushed over the surface of Ion's body. He shined brightly for several seconds before fading.

When Ion looked down at himself, he barely recognized what he saw. He looked young! As he was in his prime, before his color faded, before his ability to reflect light had atrophied. He briefly let himself shine once more as he did when he was a cadet, then immediately sunk himself into darkness, becoming a pit of inky shadow.

With a thrill he returned to his normal reflective rate and curled his legs nimbly beneath himself to sit on his knees. "This is—" he started.

"Temporary," interrupted Azmuth with a frown. "It's the best I can do at the moment with this simple proof of concept. It lasts a few minutes, then you'll revert again."

Ion stretched his arms with a grin. Even if it was only a few minutes, it was the greatest he'd felt in decades. "What is it?" He looked to his wrist but noticed the bracelet was gone. In fact, his clothes had subtly changed into a white and black jumpsuit with the Plumber symbol sitting square in the center of his chest.

"I call it the Alpha Matrix," said Azmuth. "It's just a proof of concept, of course. The final design will be much more capable. It is the key to defending against Brozz."

"How does it work?" asked Ion.

"The same cascade reaction that I used in my terraforming device," said Azmuth. "It decomposes and stores your existing form, then downloads a new template and genetically recombinates your matter to fit the new design." He shrugged. "The time limit is due to power concerns. It's incredibly expensive to store a whole organism within the Matrix and eventually it runs out of power. When it does, it automatically reverses the cascade and re-applies your old form onto the body."

Ion stared. "How... how do I keep my mind?" he asked.

Azmuth gave him a tired look. "Let's just say you don't truly understand how your mind works, and leave it at that. The details are probably too gruesome for an old man such as yourself."

Ion laughed shortly and then gazed at his body in awe.

"The final device will incorporate staged evolutionary abilities, which I believe will be the way to overcome the adaptive properties of chamatronians."

There was a sudden burst of light and Ion found himself instantly back in his old body, and the Alpha Matrix glowing red on his wrist.

"See?" said Azmuth. "A few minutes at best. I'll solve the power concerns eventually."

"This is incredible," said Ion. "You have really outdone yourself. This could very well be the key—"

"It's not for anybody," said Azmuth quickly.

Ion frowned. "What do you mean?"

Azmuth jumped up onto Ion's lap and stared the Chairman in the eyes. "I mean I'm not giving this insanely powerful device away to anyone I don't feel is worthy. Xennith is already turning in her grave with what I've done, I won't be so stupid as to simply let this device into the wild." He snatched the bracelet off of Ion's wrist and jumped back down to the floor.

"Xennith?" said Ion.

Azmuth looked down and away.

"Oh," said Ion. He hesitated. "How do we find someone worthy?"

"_We_ don't," said Azmuth. "_I_ will make that decision, and I will make it when I'm good and ready."

"You _have_ to give it to someone who can get in between the Tennysons and Brozz when he returns," said Ion emphatically. "Otherwise what's the point?"

"The _point_ is that Brozz is a dangerous criminal and this device could turn someone into an even more dangerous one. The wrong choice could result in catastrophe." Azmuth shook his head and tossed the Alpha Matrix onto his work desk. "No, until I'm satisfied that enough safeguards and limiters have been installed, I won't even _think_ about giving it away. And even then, I'm half inclined to just give it to Max and let him deal with it."

"Max quit the Plumbers," said Ion.

"And I'm sure that decision had _nothing_ to do with Lorbil's obsessive desire to control the Earth Plumbers," growled Azmuth. "The 34-315 Protection Act was just a convenient way to get Max out of the picture. No, someone who is _outside_ the Plumber's ranks is perfect. The last thing I need a bureaucrat from _Techadon_ controlling the Matrix."

Ion sighed. He already missed the energy he had felt in those ten minutes as a younger Lumerian. "Azmuth... I may not live to see the day Brozz returns. I need to know you're not going to give up on this."

"_Give up_? Hah! "

"I'm serious," continued Ion. "I know you've been... demoralized before. The galaxy doesn't live up to your expectations. I know that. But I need you to promise me you'll do something to protect them."

"The Tennysons will live on," assured Azmuth.

"Not just them," said Ion. He adjusted his seating as he legs were starting to feel sore. "Everyone. This galaxy. The four known galaxies."

"You want _me_ to protect the universe?" scoffed Azmuth.

"I want you to have compassion," said Ion. "We are all children compared to you, and children do the wrong thing sometimes because they know no better. Have patience. We may still become responsible adults."

"Or you may destroy everything in your ignorance," said Azmuth. "I've seen this story play out before."

"Then _change_ the ending," said Ion. "Give us a fighting chance."

Azmuth crossed his arms and looked at the Alpha Matrix. He studied the device for several moments in silence, then turned back.

"I will protect the Tennysons," he then said.

Ion nodded slowly but mournfully. "I guess that's a start."

**-(X)-**

Gwen stared in shock as Brozz took another blow to the face, only this time he planted his feet and didn't end up tossed into the air. As his head threatened to be blown from his shoulders, he brought his arms around and raised them into the attack, using his forearms to block the direct force of the mana sword. The shards of mana still pummeled him as he stood, but it was little more than an annoyance.

The stored up mana for the attack ran out and Gwen floated backwards and up into the sky to put some distance between her and the beast. Somehow he was adapting to her attacks quicker and quicker. The first few blows to the head seemed debilitating to him at first, but now he was simply standing his ground and enduring. It wouldn't be long before he would be shrugging them off like it was nothing.

"HOW?" Gwen shouted in bafflement.

"Got any more, pretty girl?" asked Brozz as he wiped soot from his face.

Gwen summed up her will to draw in mana for another attack. She just needed more! That was the key, she was sure! She had the power of a god, she just need to use more of it to get him to stop.

Her mind reached out for more sources of mana – anything – to draw into her next blow. Surely it would be the last, so she let herself go, pulling in anything and everything she could feel. The grass, the trees, the small animals in the park, they all could contribute. She reached out further, and found more, deeper within the earth and further away.

Then Gwen's attention turned towards the Door to Anywhere, and its tantalizing portal. It had mana. It had a _lot_ of mana. More than she could dream of. She reached out her will and commanded it to come to her. She felt it's sweet taste at the edges of perception and knew it was all she needed. The rest of the mana on Earth could be ignored. _This_ was the source.

She pulled harder and more of that sweet taste came to her. She felt it embrace her body, and it felt like her whole body was a tongue, savoring a chocolate morsel. She hungrily demanded more and it came, more and more, sweeter and sweeter until she could feel nothing else but that rich taste. Better than life. More powerful than any feeling she'd ever had. It enveloped her, drowned out everything else until she forgot what sweet even was like anymore. This was everything in her world and she struggled to remember anything else.

She panicked. She knew she was more than just this taste but she couldn't remember. What was she doing? Who was she? Where was she? Was this normal? Should she be panicked? Maybe she should be calm and just accept it. The taste wasn't all that bad...

"What the hell?" came a loud and familiar voice, but she couldn't recall from where or when. It was different, and abrasive, and strangely comforting over the din of the sweet taste. She wanted to hear more of it.

"LUVO PRESELAI!" shouted the wonderful voice.

Then the world collapsed around her and the taste rushed away. She lashed out to grab the quickly receeding energy, terrified of where it was going and what would be left when it was gone. But she was too slow, it slipped from her fingers even as she remembered she had fingers. Then she remember she had a body. A _real_ body. A physical body. She was not just a lost voice in a storm of sweet she was... she was...

"GWEN!"

Gwen opened her eyes and she found herself panting on all fours, staring at the dirt beneath her. Sweat was pouring off her face and dripping off her nose and chin as she breathed quickly. Everything felt dull and wrong, but she was okay with that. It was better than losing herself in... whatever just happened to her.

She looked up and saw Charmcaster looking at her with a deeply concerned expression. Gwen tried to think, but found her thoughts like molasses. A pertinent thread rose to the surface all the same.

"Brozz!" said Gwen, and then turned her head to look at where she last remembered him standing. Her mouth dropped open wider. The entire park was scorched as if someone had taken a flame thrower to immediate area. A particularly darkened area surrounded where Brozz was once standing and a slowly moving form was emerging from a pile of soot.

"Damn," said Charmcaster as she followed Gwen's gaze. "That guy's immortal."

Brozz coughed and groaned as he climbed up out of the pit he'd been blasted into. The first true sign that anything Gwen had done to him was being felt. Still, it was small comfort. She had nearly lost herself in that effort and it was only slowing him down.

Brozz wiped his face of debris once more and looked angrily at Gwen. "That was impressive, little girl." He straightened himself and then breathed deeply. "But I don't think you've got another one of those in you."

Gwen was positive he was right.

Brozz slammed his fist into his palm. "Let's try this again."

"'Fraid not, kiddo."

Gwen looked up to see a magenta streak fly through the sky and the land with an explosion of light between Brozz and her. The Anodite quickly coalesced into Grandma Verdona's form with her hands on her hips and looking away from Gwen.

"Back off, ugly," said Verdona loudly.

Brozz laughed. "You going to make me, pipsqueak ?" he said.

Verdona slowly looked up into the sky. "Yup," she said. Then she reached back her hand and swung it upwards like a punch.

The ground under Brozz's feet erupted in magenta light and a gigantic fist exploded up through the dirt and knocked the Chamatronian up into the sky and out of sight.

Verdona nodded then turned to look at Gwen. She rushed over and knelt beside her granddaughter. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Gwen was still trying to control her breathing and just nodded.

Verdona looked up at Charmcaster. "What did you do to her?"

"Hey, I'm the good guy here!" said Charmcaster, angrily. "She was losing herself to the mana from Yawatacsip. I forced her back into her body."

Verdona looked back at Gwen with a sad expression and sighed. "This is why I wanted you to come to Anodyne to train. You have too much power and not enough control."

Gwen shook her head slowly. "No time. Brozz wont' be stopped by that."

"I wasn't trying to stop him, dear," said Verdona. "Just buy you time for you plan."

After another few labored breaths, Gwen looked up at Charmcaster. "What happened to you?"

Charmcaster blinked back. "What do you mean?"

"It was several minutes before you showed up," said Gwen. "I thought we left together."

Charmcaster shook her head. "It doesn't work that way. Our subjective time could have been different even if we appeared to be in sync." She grumbled. "Hex would have fixed that if he was with us. I need to get better at that spell."

Gwen sat up on her legs and breathed again. "What day is it?" she asked her grandmother.

"The thirteenth," said Verdona.

Gwen looked at the sky. "Not too much time, but more than I expected." She swallowed. "Let's get back to everyone else."

**-(X)-**

June 1, 2005

Xenon

Xylene ran her palms down her head tails nervously as Azmuth worked with what seemed like glacial slowness. The small hut they were in was at least larger than the one Azmuth had when she first became his and Myaxx's protector, but it was not enough to pace around in, which was her normal method of dealing with stress.

"Azmuth, _come on_!" Xylene said.

"Don't rush me," snapped Azmuth, not looking up from the workbench that the Omnitrix prototype rested on.

The whole room shook again as the planetary defense shield was bombarded again. In the corner of the hut a small, blue and green glowing device fizzled a bit and turned red.

"It's not _me_ that's rushing you," said Xylene, studying the reactor.

"If I don't activate the safeguards, anyone could use the Omni Matrix," said Azmuth. "Vilgax will run rampant throughout the universe."

"Or, alternatively, you could just _give it to me_ and I can take it away from here," stressed Xylene. She had been assigned to the Omnitrix Project by the Plumber Central Command at the behest of Ion, charged with its safekeeping and eventual delivery. Both of these duties were now at risk because of Vilgax.

"Oh, you'd like that," said Azmuth. "Like giving a plasma rifle to an infant."

"I'm on _your side_, Azmuth, I just want to keep it away from Vilgax!"

"Nobody is on my side!" shouted Azmuth. He turned and looked directly at Xylene. "None of you understand what I've made here. If you did, you wouldn't have let a world conqueror know about it!"

"I didn't tell him!" said Xylene. "I have no idea how Vilgax found out! Only a dozen people including the Central Command and Ion know about this project. We always operated in secret."

"Twelve people can't keep a secret," said Azmuth, frowning and turning back to his workstation. He lifted the faceplace of the Omnitrix and deftly slipped his fingers underneath, tinkering with controls out of sight.

Yet another bombardment came from Vilgax's robot army in the skies above and the generate fizzled one last time and when dark.

"Well, there goes the shield," said Xylene. She shook her head. "Time's up Azmuth. Either we die here or we leave."

Azmuth seemed paralyzed for a second as he stared at the Omnitrix. "So many years of work..."

"I'll take it to Max," said Xylene. "He'll keep it from falling into the wrong hands."

"It could be the key to peace in the universe," said Azmuth, still fixated on the Omnitrix.

"What?" said Xylene. "Peace? How?"

"So much prejudice with you children," said Azmuth absently. "If only you knew what was like to be someone else, you would find it so much harder to hate."

"What are you _talking about_?" said Xylene loudly. "We _have_ to _move_, or Vilgax is going to take that and use it to march over every planet in the universe!"

Azmuth finally jerked his head up and looked at Xylene. "Yes," he said. "You're right. It's just a weapon." He closed the faceplace of the Omnitrix and then turned the dial several times. "And a weapon needs a safety."

"_**MASTER CODE ACCEPTED, LEVEL 2 FUNCTIONS AND ABOVE ARE LOCKED**_," the Omnitrix suddenly said with Azmuth's voice. It glowed briefly white then turned dark again.

"Here," said Azmuth, giving the Omitrix to Xylene. "Take it."

"To Max?"

Azmuth gently let go of the watch and turned away. "Whoever. I don't care. Just leave."

"Azmuth..." started Xylene.

"No, I'm done," said Azmuth. "I showed you the way, it's up to you to walk it. I won't hold your hand anymore."

"But Vilgax—"

"A fitting end to my life of mistakes," said Azmuth. "Leave me, _now_."

Xylene stared for a moment longer before gripping the Omnitrix tightly and running away.

**- (X) -**

In the hut, alone, Azmuth contemplated his fate as he heard the roar of engines above. Vilgax's army descending onto the planet, no doubt. The race was finally over. Fate was finally catching up with him. There was only so long that you could put off paying for the shortcuts you took in life and this was his reckoning.

He wondered, briefly, what would come afterwards. There were stories, on the primitive planets, that there was another life, a peaceful one after this one. Would there be such a paradise waiting for him? Did he even deserve a reward like that?

No. He couldn't imagine a universe so forgiving.

He thought of Xennith again. He had tried to avoid it over the years, as it became clearer and clearer that she had foreseen all of this, but in his last minutes, he wanted to comforted by thoughts that were pure.

Xennith, his angel, was right all along, and all he did was cause her pain for her foresight. How much suffering must good people endure at the hands of reckless children like himself?

He immediately felt the presence of another person in the room, despite the complete absence of any sound or light to herald the being's arrival. He breathed slowly, and imagine Xennith's face as he spoke.

"It's gone," Azmuth said. "And you'll never lay your hands on it."

"I wish that were true, but you did give it your best shot."

The voice was... human? Azmuth spun on his foot to look at the visitor. It was indeed a human man, with dark hair, and a white coat with a pair of goggles hanging around his neck. He looked strangely peaceful, and wore an expression Azmuth greatly envied.

"Who are you?" said Azmuth.

"Just a traveler," said the man. "Trying to seed a little hope in the universe." With a rumble, the sound of several ships landing roughly on the planet surface echoed in the distance. "It would seem my work is cut out for me today."

Azmuth quickly tried to process the facts before him and reached a conclusion a moment later. "You're that time-walker, spreading stories about Max."

"Time _Walker_?" said the man with a smile. "I like that, it's poetic. Much better than Time Lunatic. And, yes, I am. Though I admit good men don't really need my help spreading their legacy. I was just trying to speed things along."

"Why?"

"That would be a spoiler," said the Time Walker. "But in the immediate concern, I'm here to offer you a chance to skip the pending invasion."

Azmuth grumbled. "Don't bother, I'm fine with it."

"Yes, I can tell," said the Time Walker. "Although, were I to make a small attempt to change your mind, I would implore you to give the universe a little more time to impress you. I have the benefit of a perspective few others share, and I can say with some confidence: things are about to turn around."

"I have seen three millennia, Time Walker," said Azmuth. "I have no doubt that things eventually get better, but I'm tired of being involved."

"Then stand aside." The Time Walker put his hands in his pockets and swayed back and forth. "Let the universe go unaided. But don't give up, and certainly not to a brutish thug like Vilgax."

"Today or another day, I will eventually go," said Azmuth. "What difference does it make when?"

The Time Walker bent down on one knee and looked sadly at the Galvan. "All the difference in the world."

Azmuth looked away. "Will I ever see her again if I go with you?"

The human held his breath for a moment, telegraphing the response he inevitably gave. "No."

Azmuth looked down, then back up at the Time Walker. "For your honesty, I will escape this death just once. But after that I'm through."

The Time Walker held out his hand and Azmuth jumped onto it. The human straightened and then, strangely, he grinned.

"Don't count it," he said. Then they vanished.

**-(X)-**

_July 1th, 2010_

_New Glowerton, Alatraxia_

Ion's hand shook as he lifted the small glass cup to his lips and could barely taste the tea within. Sitting on his porch, watching the sunset, this was as most at peace that he could possible manage given the circumstances. Beside him, on the small table beside his recliner, sat his old Plumber's badge, a tea pot, and a gun. The first item was a matter of comfort, the second a clear necessity, and the third was a joke.

It wasn't like a bullet was going to stop Brozz.

The planetary defense perimeter notified him of the breach forty minutes ago with the impact on the capital. Whatever powers the alien beast had acquired hadn't told him where to look for Ion, but the former Chairman had no doubt he would figure it out soon enough. It was just a matter of time. Sixty years Ion spent waiting for today to happen. He wondered if he should have put together a welcoming party.

The gentle sound of heels upon the wooden deck of Ion's cottage was a surprise, and the old Lumerian turned slowly to face his guest.

And his skin darkened immediately.

"Chairman?" asked Ion. "What are you doing here?"

The Tetradon Chairman of Plumber Central Command adjusted his goggles and smiled at his predecessor. Lorbil was a fastidious man, dressed in the finest of suits, tailored precisely to his dimensions, and accented in rich colors along the collar and cuffs. His species were collectors, normally confined to technologically impressive pressure suits and sleek space ships. But Lorbil had found privileged life very appealing and had quickly adapted to the life of a bureaucrat.

"I didn't want to take any chances this time," said Lorbil calmly. He brushed a leaf off of his shoulder. "Criminals are such blunt instruments, they need a steady hand to guide them."

Ion almost refused to believe what was happening. "You... freed Brozz?"

Lorbil laughed. "Oh, I'm not quite that impressive. Magic? Galvan Technology? The impossibilities of finding something lost in deep space? No, I set the events in motion, but I couldn't have done it on my own."

"But... why? Why in the world would you do something so reckless?"

"Because the Tennysons are a blight upon this galaxy," said Lorbil so matter-of-factly that it was hard to argue. "They run rampant and nobody does anything to control them. Not to mention they've inspired you to create your own personal research team and army that draws from _my_ Plumber ranks. Your 'DNA Force.'"

"The Plumbers aren't _yours_," said Ion.

"Well, they aren't yours either," snapped Lorbil. "_You_ retired. You were supposed to hide yourself away and not bother anyone again like every other decrepit Plumber who couldn't keep up with the chase anymore. But no, you had to stay involved, right under my nose. As if I wouldn't mind you controlling half the fleet with your influence."

Ion sighed. "Brozz will kill me, you, and every other thing in his way. You have doomed us all, not just the Tennysons. You have given away everything you spent decades on Central Command trying to gain. Can't you see how foolish this move is?"

"I can't just let them go on," said Lorbil. "Because of that boy, the Highbreed rampage has paved the way for galactic civil war. And we look like we endorse him because he runs around with _our symbol_ on his chest. How much longer do you think we'll be able to maintain control while Ben Tennyson holds the Omnitrix?"

"On the other hand," said Lorbil, straightening his back. "If one of the greatest criminals in history avenges himself upon Tennyon's family, we'll be free of him and he can become a martyr. A new cause we can use to regain control against radical elements that would use that family's lawlessness to incite interplanetary war."

"He'll probably destroy all of Earth in the process," said Ion.

"Nobody cares about a Tech level 2 planet," dismissed Lorbil.

Ion grimaced and reached out for the table beside him. Wrapping his fingers around the item, he put his other hand on the arm of the chair and shifted his weight. His bones and joints creaked as he slid his feet to the floor. With a grunt, he pushed himself forward onto his heels, standing hunched but staring angrily at an amused Lorbil.

"Prefer to die on your feet, do you?" asked Lorbil. "How archaic."

Ion held out his Plumber's badge proudly. "I care what happens to that planet."

"A lot of good an old man's sentimentality will do for it," scoffed Lorbil.

Ion smiled. Then he pressed down on the face of the Plumber's badge. It beeped once, then exploded in light that quickly rushed over Ion's body. Destroying it, twisting it, and remaking it once more.

"Wha—!" Lorbil could be heard over the hum of the change.

A second later, Ion landed again on his feet, and stood tall, strong, and young. He glowed brightly in the dimming light.

"A—another Omnitrix?" yelled Lorbil as he backed away, nearly falling down the steps to the paved path.

Ion grabbed the gun from the table and pointed it at Lorbil. "Not exactly. Just a small gift from Azmuth for keeping the faith for so long." He motioned towards the ground. "Now, I would ask you kindly: get on the ground with your hands behind your head."

"You have no authority to arrest me," said Lorbil. "You're retired."

Ion shrugged. "Well, I was once Chairman. I hear that still has some sway."

Lorbil growled and slowly got down on his knees. "This won't change anything."

"I can at least stop—" started Ion, but that was as far as he got.

The flash of light was less than a second long and when it had faded, Brozz was standing right next to Ion with his fist already in flight. The cracking sound when it impacted Ion's chest was sickening and the slim Lumerian body crumpled like paper under its might. He flew straight through the window into the cottage and then into three additional walls before landing in front of the trees on the other side of the abode.

Lorbil stood back up and glared at Brozz. "Did you get lost?"

Brozz grumbled in reply and then stalked through the house to follow the trajectory of Ion's body. Lorbil followed closely behind until they exited on the other side and saw the still, bleeding form on the lawn.

Lorbil walked swiftly up to Ion and kneeled down to look into the former Chairman's eyes. He was still alive, but would be for long. His breathing was labored and he was covered in blood.

"This looks very painful," said Lorbil, condescendingly. "I can end your suffering for you if you answer me one question." He leaned in close. "Where is Azmuth?"

Ion looked up, blearily, at Lorbil. And then did his best to smile. "Hah," he wheezed. Then grew still and died.

"Hmph," sneered Lorbil. He grabbed the Plumber's badge and ripped it off of the body in one motion. Standing, he tossed the badge at Brozz. "Here. Ruin his reputation a bit, just for good measure."

Brozz stared, frowning, at Lorbil.

"What?" asked the Chairman. "Did the paradox device work?"

"Obviously," said Brozz in his deep, rumbling voice.

"Then we're done," said Lorbil. "Go have fun murdering Tennysons."

"I need to find my containment pod first," said Brozz. "Complete the loop."

"Fine, whatever," said Lorbil. "I need to get out here before anyone realizes I was involved."

"I need a magician to open the containment vessel," said Brozz.

"I'm not one, so you'd best get searching," said Lorbil. He turned to walk back onto the path.

Brozz reached out and yanked him into the air by his arm. He looked angrily at Lorbil. "Find me a magic user or I will pull your arms off your body."

"OKAY! Okay! I'll find you one!" yelled a panicked Lorbil. "I-I think one of the Tennysons is one. The girl. The sister of Ben."

Brozz lifted Lorbil even higher and looked up at his face.

"Who is 'Ben'?"


	13. Chapter 12 Lull

**Chapter 12 – Lull**

_July 13, 2010_

_New Glowerton, Alatraxia_

Phil stared out the gaping hole in the wall of the small house and crossed his arms. Outside, at the treeline, was a smear of green blood leading up to a large stain where Chairman Ion's body finally bled out a few days earlier. It was a gruesome sight, and it occurred to the former Plumber that he and Max had fought dozens of super powered alien would-be conquerors. How many times had he gotten a hair's breadth away from such a fate? He shuddered at the thought.

"Hurry up, kid," he said instead using the radio in his rebreather. "I doubt we'll go unnoticed for much longer."

Kevin, sitting at a desk in the ruined living room with Kai hovering at his shoulder, nodded and picked up his Plumber's badge. He carefully placed the device on top of the fractured glass display and pressed on the faceplace. It lit up with green light and began downloading.

"Just a few minutes," said Kevin. "I don't want to go too fast or someone at the Core might notice a dead person's account accessing the databank."

Phil shook his head and stepped through the hole and paced around the small estate, examining the signs of battle. Ion looked to have gotten his geriatric ass handed to him in practically one shot. It wasn't entirely surprising given the power levels of the people involved, but still unsettling. Didn't a man as respected as Ion deserve and end more fitting than being crushed through three walls and left to bleed out?

"Okay, I've got it," said Kevin, standing up. He put his badge back into his pocket. "Everything in the two databases on Brozz, Ion, and Lorbil. Hopefully this wasn't a waste of time." He crossed the room and climbed out he hole to join Phil.

"I can't see how it will help us stop Brozz," said Phil as he looked at the small table that held a teapot and glass mug. "But maybe it'll help us figure out who's to blame for this when it's all over."

"Assuming we're still alive," scoffed Kevin. "I looked up Azmuth too, by the way. There's a footnote about a 'Galvan Mark II' project but no details on where or when."

Phil nodded and then motioned back down the drive to where the Rust Bucket was parked. "It's just as well. Let's go." He jumped down off the porch and started walking.

Kevin followed shortly behind. "Come on, Kai," he said as he jumped. After a few steps he stopped and looked back over his shoulder. Kai was still standing on the porch and looking strangely to the side. "Kai?"

Kai turned her head to stare back at hole in the wall on the porch. "Do you ... feel that?" she asked.

Phil stopped and turned. "Feel what?" he asked.

Kai reached out a hand and moved it slowly through the air in front of her. "It's like a... haze. Or a ghost?"

"A ghost?" asked Kevin. "Like an Ectonurite?"

Kai frowned. "What's an Ectonurite?" She continued to slowly move her hand around.

"They're ... uh, well, they're ghosts," said Kevin, sounding sheepish. "Evil things. They can go intangible at will and possess people."

"I have no idea what that would feel like," said Kai. She raised her other hand and moved her hands together. "I—I can feel something here, but it's just out of sight."

"Feel what?" asked Phil.

"I think its scattered energy," said Kai. "Maybe I can..." She tensed the muscles in her arms slightly and looked to be concentrating. She sighed after a moment. "No. It's more orderly, maybe more like this." She frowned deeply and tilted her head to the side.

A shadowy form appeared in the air in front of her, looking just as ghostly as she implied. But slowly it began to take more definite shape. The amorphous cloud began to coalesce into a large, muscular form.

"Ah!" Kai shouted as she jumped back from the undeniable shape of Brozz standing in front of her.

Phil quickly pulled a gun and Kevin absorbed the stone beneath his feet.

"W-Wait!" said Kai, scrambling back to her feet. "It's not real."

Kevin scowled. "What is _that_?"

"I—I think it's ... it's like an echo," said Kai. She walked slowly around the shadowy form of Brozz. "It's an impression of Brozz from when he was here. Like a... well, like a hole in a wall. He left a path." She put her hands out to either side of her and closed her eyes. "Ennngh!" she grunted.

A cloud of white light appeared and then swiftly shrunk down into almost a hundred Brozz's in a row, showing a path as he walked through the house and then around the grounds before leaving.

"Woah," said Kevin as he stared.

Kai panted slightly as she leaned on one of the upturned chairs on the patio. "I think that's most of them."

Kevin walked slowly around a parade of Brozz's and moved up to Kai. "How did you know to do that?" he asked directly.

"I... I don't know, it just seemed like the right thing to do," said Kai.

"But you've never done that before?" said Kevin.

Kai shook her head.

Kevin studied her face for another minute before looking at the Brozz trail. He reached out and waved his hand through the ghostly visage. It passed through without any resistance and barely distorted the ghosts. He put his hand to his chin and then walked along the path Brozz took.

When he got around to where the pool of blood once was, he looked at the collision of about a dozen Brozz images all merged together. Phil came up on the opposite side of the ghosts and nodded.

"It's hard to see what happened here," said Phil. "Can you make some of these go away?"

Kai nodded and reached out a hand. With a slight squinting of her eyes she caused the Brozz images she was touching to dissipate again. Phil pointed a few more images and Kai walked around slowly eliminating them from the path until there were three left. One of Brozz staring down at stain from a few paces away, another of him looking off to the side, and a final one where he had his fist up in the air.

Kevin looked at the trio of images carefully. "There was someone else here."

Phil agreed. "He's clearly keeping his distance here, and then looking at someone else here."

Kai walked up to the Brozz with his fist in the air. "What about this one?"

Kevin looked at the arm and then Brozz's face. "He's angry at someone. Whoever it was that was here, I guess."

"How can you tell?" asked Kai.

Phil pointed at the arm. "Look at the fist. Sideways, slightly tilted back, like it's supporting a weight. He picked up his partner by the shirt."

"Or tentacle, or whatever," said Kevin. "Can't tell without seeing whoever he's holding."

Kai focused her attention on the image and reached her fingers out and felt the air in front of Brozz's fist. She grimaced. "There's not much here," she said. Her fingers laced together and she moved them side to side. "Maybe a little."

Slowly Kai worked the air in front of Brozz's fist. First there was just a foggy cloud, but it slowly gained more definition. The blob became a head, and then a bust, and finally earned a face.

"I don't recognize him," said Kevin.

Phil shook his head. "I do," he said. "That's a technodon. I think it's Lorbil."

Kevin pulled out his badge again and called up a record, causing a holographic figure to emerge from the badge. He held it up against the ghostly face. "It could be," he said. "It's pretty close."

"I can't give you any more detail than that," said Kai. "He just doesn't have the same presence as Brozz."

"I doubt very many things in the galaxy do," said Phil. He pulled out a squared device from his pocket and held it up to the two ghostly forms. "I'll take a picture. We can analyze it later."

Kevin nodded. "Yeah, we need to get back to Earth. Gwen is probably back by now."

Kai nodded and turned away from the image as Brozz to follow Kevin away from the house. Behind her the image slowly faded away.

**-(X)-**

Max paced stiffly around the great room in Hex's – now Charmcaster's – manor. The expanded team of Plumbers and associates had elected to gather there because it was the only place large enough to house their rather entourage. It was rather gothic in decoration on the inside, but spacious, with many places to sit, stand, or as Max would have it, pace.

"I'm worried about how many elements are in motion here," said Max as he circled back towards the front of the room with the unlit fireplace behind him. "We still don't fully understand Brozz' plan; nor why he attacked Gwen; nor whether the people of Ledgerdomain will be ready; nor whether this 'spell' will successfully defeat him, or Adwaita for that matter; or why Chairman Lorbil is involved; and finally where Hex ended up."

"Ooh!" yelled a black haired girl that looked staggeringly identical to Gwen and sitting at one end of a large sofa. "I don't know why I'm here at all, as long as we're making a list."

Verdona stepped up behind the girl and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't be prissy, Sunny, I'll explain everything later."

Sunny crossed her arms. "Could explain things now," she grumbled.

"That's a long list," said Wes. He had been discharged with Max yesterday with instructions to 'take it easy.' It didn't seem that he was going to be able to follow that particular prescription. "Any one of those things could ruin everything."

"Some are less likely to screw everything up than others," said Phil. "Whatever Lorbil wants, we haven't seen his hand in this very prominently. I doubt he will do much during our attack."

"And Brozz attacking _us_ at the Door is a good thing," said Charmcaster, quickly attracting puzzled looks. "We were going to need to lure him to the Door anyway, if he's got a bug out for us _or_ the door, it'll make that task all that much easier."

"Yeah, but why did he do it?" said Kevin. "You said he was waiting for you. How did he even know where to be? And why target you and not me, or Ben, or Max?"

"Time travel, most likely," said Gwen. "He can't cross his own path but he probably could have watched and then travelled back in time to be there when we arrived."

"But why?" asked Kai. "And was he after you, Charmcaster, or the Door?"

Gwen shrugged.

Charmcaster shook her head. "Uncle never said he told Brozz about the Door or anything about Ledgerdomain, so he shouldn't have known about it. Though Uncle could have been lying by omission... or just outright lying." She sighed. "And before you ask, I have no idea where he ended up. He has the ability to summon the Door just as easily as I can, he could have exited anywhere. I don't _think_ he is going to interfere, but I've been wrong about him before."

Gwen reached over and gently patted Charmcaster on the shoulder. Their eyes met for a moment and Charmcaster nodded wearily.

"What about the spell?" asked Julie. "Any way to find out if it will work? Will the three of you be enough?" She motioned towards Verdona, Sunny, and Gwen.

"There's no way to know how much power will be needed," said Gwen, gently removing her hand from Charmcaster's shoulder. "I certainly _felt_ much stronger there, but I could hardly quantify it. Between the three of us we'll probably be able to level a significant amount of power."

"Assuming you don't go out of control like a ten year old," Sunny scoffed. "Maybe you should leave this to the grown ups."

"Don't be mean," Verdona admonished. "You haven't reached mastery of your skills yet either."

"I'm further along than cousin Way Too Uptight over there." Sunny laughed. "She's going to lose her mind."

"I will not!" Gwen shouted angrily.

"You don't have a good track record so far, _sweetie_," chided Sunny.

"The short of it is," said Charmcaster, trying to move ahead in the conversation. "The spell _will_ break apart anything given enough power and control. I had hoped we would have had the entire might of Anodyne behind us, but if Verdona believes the three of you will be enough, I can't say differently." She leaned back on the sofa and folded her arms. "I will provide the control. My people will reinforce the structure of the spell to be able to withstand the amount of mana you will be pumping through it, but I'll be at the center of it all. If something goes wrong, I'll know right away and we can adapt."

"So everything relies on _you_ instead?" asked Julie. "I'm sorry, but I've heard stories. How can we trust you?"

"You can," said Gwen and Phil simultaneously. They looked at one another in surprise, and then Phil acquiesced.

"This isn't a simple matter of vengeance," continued Gwen. "Her people matter to her and their freedom depends on our success. She wouldn't suggest this plan if she didn't think it would work."

Charmcaster's jaw dropped slightly as she watched Gwen defend her. Then her eyes tracked briefly over at Phil who nodded at her with a warm smile.

"She's right," Charmcaster said softly. "It does matter to me. And I do think it will work. Especially if we can convince my people that Adwaita isn't all powerful, even with the Alpha Rune. If they... believe we have a chance, I hope they will join us, and make the spell that much more powerful."

"But we don't need them?" clarified Wes.

"No. If there are still a few members of Archamada alive, it should work without them."

"Alright then," said Max. "I guess the real question is, do we have any other plans?" He looked around the room slowly. "The variables in this one are significant, but I haven't heard a viable alternative yet, and we're running out of time. The longer we wait, the more time Brozz has initiate whatever his plan is for Earth's destruction. So if there is another option, we need to hear it now."

The room was quiet as minutes passed.

"All right then," said Max quietly. "Then this is it."

**-(X)-**

Kevin gently pulled Gwen into the hallway outside the great room of the manor. He looked greatly agitated and looked periodically over this shoulder to see if anyone was listening.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" he asked again. "I mean, I don't need to remind you of the times she tried to kill you. Or me. Or control me to kill you. Or take your power. Or put the world at risk."

"And yet, you're reminding me anyway," noted Gwen, sounding a little irritated.

"Gwen..."

"Yes," said Gwen simply. "Yes, we can trust her."

Kevin grimaced, holding his breath for a moment, before relaxing in a burst. "Yeah, you gotta give me more than that. I know what it's like to go against your nature. It's not easy. It doesn't happen overnight."

"I'm not sure if I can give you what you want," said Gwen. "Some of the things she told me... well, she never swore me to secrecy, but I feel like they were personal. Private. I don't feel I should be talking about them."

"Even to me? Your _boyfriend_?" said Kevin.

"It's not about _us_," said Gwen.

"No, it's definitely about us," said Kevin. "I'm not going to let you run into that much danger without some understanding of what is going on."

"You don't get to make that decision," said Gwen sharply. "You don't _let_ me do anything. I do things, you do things, we do things together. But I don't need your permission to put my life on the line. You don't own me."

"I know that!" said Kevin.

"Then what are you asking?" Gwen said, exasperated.

"I'm asking you to think about what it would do to me if you died!" shouted Kevin.

Gwen stared, a little surprised. "Kevin..."

"Look, I'm not a fool," he said quickly before she could say more. "I know the Earth is more important than whatever... we have. But what good is it if you go and get killed for no reason? No gain? We need victory, not just so we don't get defeated, but so everyone else on Earth gets ... to... not to be defeated." He paused. "That was awkward."

"It's not just for 'no reason.'" Gwen looked around this time to see if anyone had come looking for them. "I... don't want to get hurt or die. But I really do believe in Charmy. She's not going to let us down this time."

Gwen placed her hand on Kevin's chest. "I know she hurt you once," she said. "I know it is hard to forgive without a reason. But _we_ did it. Ben and I. For _you_."

Kevin started to look away but Gwen moved to stay in his vision. "We had no idea what to expect from you," she said. "After all our fights, how could believe you weren't our enemy anymore? But Ben felt something, he knew somehow that you had changed, so I trusted him. And look at us now."

Kevin gently reached up and took Gwen's hands into his own. He stared into her eyes. "I am looking," he said. "I'm just not ready to stop."

"We'll be okay," said Gwen quietly. "Trust me."

**-(X)-**

Sunny stretched beside her grandmother under the sun in the front of the manor. There was a fairly sizable estate around the building leaving them far out of view from any neighbors. Not that Sunny cared at all, but she was told that keeping her 'nature' out of sight from other humans was a strict rule.

Which really just meant she'd have to find some way to break it before leaving.

"I don't get why this is our business," said Sunny. "Let's just go back to Anodyne and let this wacko do his thing."

"Your grandfather lives here," said Verdona. "And many of your cousins, aunts and uncles. They won't be abandoning Earth and neither should we."

"They're being fools, it's just a planet," shrugged Sunny.

"So is Anodyne," said Verdona. "And I know how you feel right now, like your power reduces other people's issues to the squabbles of ants. But that will change, my dear, as you get older. You'll have to take my word for it right now, of course."

"I don't see how," said Sunny. "Why would I care what about a bunch of people I'm _distantly_ related to on a planet in the middle of nowhere? I mean, look at what they're doing to Gwen! She's a pain, of course, but they've stunted her growth. It'll be decades before she even comes close to me."

Verdona smiled. "You might be surprised."

"Sorry!" called a voice from inside the house and shortly after Gwen emerged. She ran up to Sunny and Verdona. "There's a lot going on inside, I ... uh, I had to finish a discussion."

"It's all right, dear," said Verdona.

"Why didn't you just teleport here?" said Sunny accusingly.

Gwen looked awkwardly between Verdona and Sunny. "Uh, because it seemed like a waste of energy for twenty yards. Teleporting is tiring."

"No, it isn't," said Sunny, and she vanished in a flash, before appearing on top of a nearby tree. "You must be doing it wrong!" she yelled.

"Please come down here, Sunny," said Verdona.

"Why did you have to invite her?" asked Gwen, quietly.

"Because beggars can't be choosers," said Verdona.

Sunny appeared in a flash. "Who is a beggar?"

"Nothing," said Gwen. "So, grandma, what did you need to talk about?"

"Training," said Verdona.

"I'm not going to Anodyne!" Gwen said quickly.

Verdona looked amused and patted Gwen's head. "We hardly have time for that. But you do need to practice a bit more control in your natural form if you're going to help with this spell."

"I'm fine in my _natural_ form, I need help with my _Anodite_ form," said Gwen, trying not to be too obvious.

Verdona never missed a beat. "Whichever you'd like to call it, honey."

Gwen sighed. "So what do you need me to do?"

Sunny suddenly shed her body as if it were a rubber mask revealing her magenta Anodite form. "Fight me!" she said loudly, and then smack Gwen across the lawn.

Gwen landed in a heap several yards away. Her body ached and she tasted blood in her mouth. She touched her lips and then looked at her fingers. "What are you doing? I'm _bleeding_!"

"You wouldn't be if you'd ditch that stupid body," said Sunny, teasingly.

Gwen growled loudly then let her Anodite form consume her body, shoving it beneath the surface to let the magenta energy surge forth. She pushed herself off the ground and rocketed towards Sunny with her hands out.

The two cousins collided and began flying through the air, striking each other with blows, beams of energy, and occasionally a tossed tree.

"Remember, girls!" Verdona called out after a moment. "The lesson is _control_."

**-(X)-**

Wes ran into the great room urgently and looked around until his eyes locked on Max.

"What is it? "asked Max, noticing the alarmed expression on his old partner's face.

"I, uh, I think your wife is beating up on your grandchildren," said Wes. He was obviously uncomfortable with almost every word he said.

Max rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'll take care of it," he said. Then he walked past Wes for the door and the two of them exited.

"Kids, huh?" said Phil to the others in the room. Then he noticed that only kids remained in the room with him. "Oh."

Ben looked to Kai. "So it's helped?" he asked.

Kai nodded and held up a hand. "It's not been... well, it's easier than I thought it would be, but tiring." The air above her hand slowly condensed into a foggy cloud. "I don't honestly understand all of it, but I can do it."

Ben looked in amazement at the cloud then poked his finger into it. It left an impression. Then he drew a smiley face in it.

Julie poked him in the side. "Ben," she said.

Ben grinned and nodded. "So, that's good, I guess. As long as I get to keep control of the Ultimatrix, we should be much better off this time."

"You haven't had any problems recently, right?" said Kai.

Ben shook his head. "No, but you were in space for most of that. I just want to make I won't have problems in battle."

"I think I've got it under control now," said Kai. "At least the part I was doing unintentionally."

"Good," said Ben. "You won't have to evacuate the state then."

Kai looked between Ben, Phil, and Julie. "So I can come along, right?"

"To the fight with Brozz?" said Ben. "Why would you want to? It's going to be incredibly dangerous."

"I want to help," said Kai.

"I'm not sure Wes is going to be too happy about that," said Phil, looking over his shoulder.

"He doesn't get to say what I do," said Kai. "I'm sure _he_ expects to be involved."

"I wouldn't be so certain," said Phil.

"What are you going to do in the fight?" said Julie, with a raised eyebrow. "Make clouds around Brozz?"

Kai frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Well what are_ you_ going to do? Is he weak to tennis serves?"

Julie laughed, then looked over towards the door. "Ship!" she called out.

Ship hopped into the room and then rushed up over to Julie, quickly jumping onto her back and forming the colossal power armor around her. Ship chirped happily as Julie looked down at the much smaller Kai.

"I have a little more than my back hand to contribute," said Julie with a smirk.

"Okay, no fair," said Kai. "How come she gets a power suit?"

Julie pointed at her chest. "I trained Ship to do this."

"No you didn't," said Ben, a little dubiously. "That crazy doctor with the Forever Knights did."

"Whose side are you on, anyway?" asked Julie.

"I need to pick sides?" asked Ben, surprised.

"Ben!" said Julie.

"Ben!" echoed Kai.

Ben looked threatened and turned towards Phil.

"You're on your own, kid," said Phil as he headed for the door.

"Uh, look, I'd really like it if neither of you came," said Ben. "I don't want to see either of you get hurt."

"Ben, I've _been_ in battle before," said Julie. "There were hundreds of bad guy sat Los Solidad, this is just one."

"One, really, really, _really_ powerful guy," pointed out Ben.

"Then you need all the help you can get," said Julie, conclusively.

"Right, so I should help too," said Kai.

"I said _help_, not _drag down_," said Julie.

"I thought you two were starting to get along?" mused Ben.

"She's never fought an alien before," explained Julie.

"There was a time where _you_ hadn't fought an alien before as well," said Kai.

"Yeah, and that time was called Ben and my first date," said Julie. "I've been doing this for a while now."

"So what makes this any different?"

"Well, first, you're not dating Ben," said Julie. "And second, Brozz is way different than Ship, who wasn't really evil, just confused."

"Oh, right, so you fought a _good_ alien for your first experience," said Kai.

"Befriended would be the right word," said Julie.

"Well, who's to say I won't befriend Brozz!"

Ben and Julie looked at Kai for a moment.

"Yeah, that was stupid," admitted Kai.

"Look, I'm not really comfortable with anyone who can't easily take a brick to the face being involved in this battle," said Ben. He looked to both the girls and took a breath. "But I know that it's going to happen anyway. So, please, if you must come, just ... look out for each other. Keep each other safe."

"Look out for her?" said Kai, dubiously.

"Look out for _everyone_," said Ben. "That's why we're in a _team_. We have to succeed together. Brozz will just run right over us if we aren't getting along. So please, for the sake of the earth and everyone on this team, please be friends?"

Kai and Julie looked at each other with venomous expressions before finally Julie said, "I'll look out for her... as a member of our team."

Kai seemed unconvinced but nodded. "And I'll look out for her... also as a member of our team."

"There," said Ben. "Good. Much better. Now, if you don't mind, I need to find out where Kevin and Gwen went." He quickly slipped out from between the two glaring girls and fled.

**-(X)-**

Kevin, Ben, and Gwen stood outside in the back yard of the manor away from the clamor of planning going on inside. Ben sighed and looked at his closest friends and teammates. Gwen seemed to have several scuff marks on her hands, arms, and face. Probably the result of the fight he'd heard about earlier. He hoped things were going better with Sunny than they were with Julie and Kai, but he seriously doubted it.

"So," said Gwen, wincing slightly.

Kevin looked at her with a worried expression. "Are you...?"

"It'll heal soon," said Gwen. "Grandma is teaching me some techniques to speed it along."

"Super healing?" said Ben. "Awesome."

"Not really," said Gwen. "Avoiding getting hurt is still better."

"Ah," said Ben, and nodded. Then looked at Kevin, who just shrugged in return.

"Are we really ready for this?" said Kevin, looking around. "We're hardly at the top of our game."

"Do we have a choice?" asked Ben. "We don't know what Brozz is doing, and it is undoubtedly something we don't want him to be doing. If we wait any longer, we could be toast."

"We'll probably be toast anyway," said Kevin. "But, I guess that's par for the course for us."

Gwen nodded and looked at the manor. "I really wish I knew more about everything."

"So does Grandpa," said Ben. "At some point, though, we can't wait anymore."

"Is that really now?" asked Gwen. "I mean, I believe in Charmcaster's plan, but... there are just so many things that could go wrong."

"We can wait," said Ben experimentally. "You both seem like you want to. But each day is another day we could all be destroyed by Brozz."

Kevin and Gwen looked at each other and had what seemed to be a silent conversation before they both sighed. "No, we should do it," said Kevin.

"Yeah, if we delayed you'd just go by yourself," said Gwen giving an accusing eye to Ben.

Ben looked away slightly and smiled. "That obvious?"

Kevin slapped him on the back. "Don't worry, I would too."

"Me too," said Gwen with a nod. "Too much riding on this to hesitate now."

They all, in the briefest moment, admired each other and what they'd all done and given up to be where they were now.

"Who'd have thought us," said Ben. "Right?"

"Not me," said Kevin.

"Me neither," said Gwen.

Ben nodded. "Tomorrow?"

"We'll lay the bait," said Gwen with a nod. "Only time will tell when Brozz will take it."

"Yeah," said Ben. "Time..."

Then Ben's eyes widened.


	14. Chapter 13 Gateway

**Chapter 13 – Gateway**

_July 13, 2010_

_Charmcaster's Manor_

_Bellwood, California_

Gwen and Kevin turned to see what Ben was gaping at across the lawn. The giant stone archway stood proudly where before there was simply a line of trees and some shrubbery. It had decidedly not been there when they looked before, but it was impossible to ignore now. The Door to Anywhere was now a fixture in the yard.

Gwen looked around quickly. "Where's Charmy?" she said urgently.

"I thought she was inside," Ben said, staring at the door. "Um, when there's no swirling purple energy... the door is _off_, right?"

Gwen held her hand up experimentally towards the door and shook her head. "I don't feel Ledgerdomain on the other side. But when did that appear?"

"Just now," said Ben. "I was looking at you and then I looked back and it was there."

"What does that mean?" asked Kevin, looking between Gwen and the door.

"I'm getting Charmcaster," said Gwen and ran past the two boys. "Keep an eye on it." She vanished into the house.

"What are we watching for?" asked Kevin.

"To... make sure it doesn't go away?" posed Ben.

"If it does... how do we stop it?"

Ben shrugged. The two continued to stare. A few minutes later Gwen returned with Charmcaster in tow. They both looked equally dumbfounded.

"That's not good," said Charmcaster.

"Did you misplace something?" asked Kevin.

"I didn't summon it," said Charmcaster.

"Then who did?" asked Ben.

Charmcaster shook her head. "It's gotta be someone on the other side."

"We don't know anyone good on the other side, do we?" asked Kevin.

"Like I said," Charmcaster said. "That's not good."

"Last time that door hung around, Brozz showed up," pointed out Gwen.

"See the above note about lack of good," Charmcaster snarled angrily. She shook her head and then strode towards the door.

Gwen, Ben, and Kevin hesitated then slowly followed behind.

"What are you going to do?" asked Gwen.

"I'm going to try and banish it," said Charmcaster. "Before Brozz shows up or... anything else comes out."

"Don't we want Brozz to show up?" asked Kevin.

"_Now_?" said Charmcaster loudly. She looked over her shoulder to glare at Kevin. "When we've spent all day training and getting on each other's nerves? Are you ready?"

"I thought we were just agreeing we were?" said Kevin, looking towards Ben and Gwen.

Charmcaster scowled. "Well, _I_ wasn't part of that conversation. I'd like at least to get some sleep before committing suicide."

With a sound of cracking stone, the door began to glow with the symbols of Ledgerdomain's true name. The doors complained loudly as they ground upon the earth to swing open, revealing the swirling mass beyond.

"Okay, too late," said Ben. "Plan B: take cover!"

The group scattered to the trees and bushes, keeping their eyes locked on the portal and anything that might come through. Once the doors stood fully open, there was a full minute of painful stillness as they waited for the inevitable shoe to drop.

Then a form emerged from the opening, tall and male, covered in tattered robes and a hood. He staggered forward and then fell face first into the grass whereupon his body began to smoke slightly. He looked charred from head to toe and where the rags of his robes had burned away revealed bleeding wounds. The doors swung shut after him and became silent once more.

Charmcaster stood from her hiding place behind a bush and suddenly forgot the last few days of animosity amidst an unexpected surge of familial emotion. "Uncle!" she cried out and rushed over to the still form.

Gwen and Kevin watched in surprise while Ben turned towards the manor. "I'll get some help," he said before running inside.

Charmcaster knelt down beside Hex and gently rolled him onto his back. She felt the sticky wetness of blood on her fingers as she moved him, and tried to keep her stomach from turning when she saw the bits of burned flesh on his chest.

"Uncle?" she said again. "What happened?"

Hex wheezed as he breathed, and barely opened his eyes to look at Charmcaster. "Adwaita..." he murmured.

Charmcaster grimaced. "What about him?"

With another labored breath, he spoke quietly with long gaps between each word. "Found out. Angry. Attacking Archamada. Guarding door. Not much... time." His eyes fluttered shut. "I'm sorry." He fell into unconsciousness.

Gwen and Kevin, who had crept up to watch, stared still, unsure what to think.

"Do you think we can—" started Gwen but Charmcaster shot her a look that could have pierced steel.

"Don't even say it," she said. She appeared deadly serious, and Gwen wilted under the stare.

"Sorry," Gwen muttered.

Ben showed up with Verdona and Max just then and they quickly laid down a bed sheet next to Hex. He was carefully transferred onto makeshift stretcher and the whole group helped carry him back into the manor.

**-(X)-**

From that point on, the group moved in quickly organized shifts, cycling between people watching the Door (which refused to go away despite Charmcaster's attempts), tending to the gravely wounded Hex, and arguing with Max and Ben.

"You lost over a day the last time you were in there," said Ben to Charmcaster. "If you go in now, everything might be over before you get back . The clock is ticking. Sooner or later Brozz is going to show up."

"We don't know that!" said Gwen, who found herself in the more and more frequent position of defending Charmcaster. "We don't know why he was at the gate when we exited, it could have been a coincidence."

"That would be an extraordinary coincidence," said Max. "Though she's right, we don't know why he was there."

"We _need_ them to make the plan work," stressed Gwen. "And we can't just let a people... ugh, they're being oppressed! We can't do nothing!"

"They've been oppressed for quite some time," said Ben.

"Oh, _there's_ a reason to do nothing," Charmcaster said, dripping with vitriol. "You forget, we _changed_ things by asking my family to raise a rebellion."

Ben sighed and shook his head. "I don't want to see anyone hurt."

"Then _help_," said Charmcaster.

"But-" Ben said loudly. "Our plan falls apart if we separate now. And if our plan falls apart, that means neither Brozz _nor_ Adwaita will be taken down. Everyone stands the best chance of surviving if we stick to our plan."

"And just _wait_ for Brozz to show up?" Charmcaster said angrily.

Ben grimaced for a moment. "Well, I might have an idea of how to make him appear."

Everyone stared at Ben.

"You do?" said Max.

**-(X)-**

Brainstorm was _tinkering_ with Azmuth's silvery time machine in the yard in front of the Door to Anywhere. That was the best way to describe it from Gwen's point of view. He claimed he knew what he was doing, but she'd always been a little skeptical of that alien's insistence it was smarter than Azmuth. Few people were smarter than Azmuth, including other Galvans. The only thing that was more suspicious than a self-important alien monkeying around with a time machine was that Kevin was right there with him _offering advice_.

"No, that can't possibly do that," said Kevin for what was possibly the thirtieth time. "Look at the power generator, it can't just be _venting_ all that excess energy. It's gotta be used somewhere."

"This apparatus was devised under non-ideal conditions with a temporal contingency factor," Brainstorm said without looking up. "I venture that precision was not at the forefront of its design requirements."

"Still, that's a Tetryon reactor," Kevin said. "With modifications. It's gotta be putting out more energy than a small sun."

"That is an insufficiently comparable analogue," said Brainstorm. "Given this design, energy generation is potentially greater than a super-massive black hole. This aligns with my estimates, however, as a gravitational force greater than the sum total mass of our solar system would be necessary to distort space-time in any meaningful manner."

"Uh," Kevin took a small step back from the time machine. "If that's the case, maybe we shouldn't be messing with this."

"Don't be silly," said Brainstorm. "I _know_ what I am doing."

"I seriously doubt that," said Kevin.

Phil walked up behind Gwen and stared. "So what are they doing?"

"I think," said Gwen, and she was not at all happy to be voicing her opinion here, lest it be true. "That they're building a time bomb."

Phil was silent for a few seconds. "Like a... bomb that goes off after a certain amount of time, or a bomb that blows time up?"

Gwen looked at him helplessly.

"Yeah, neither of those options sounds good," said Phil.

"Are we ready?" Charmcaster called out from the doorway of the manor.

"These modifications necessitate an additional eighty-four seconds," said Brainstorm.

"Err, right." Charmcaster ducked her head back into the house.

"I'm still not clear on how you think this will attract Brozz," said Phil loudly as he was not inclined to willfully approach anything described as a 'bomb.'

"The presumption," said Brainstorm, again without looking up. "Is axiomatic based upon conclusions drawn from experiential interactions with extra-dimensional beings inclusive of Paradox and Alien X. The immediate term inversion of normal temporal progression is analogous to an elevated beacon positioned at the extremities of peninsulas or independent land masses where risk of collision with subsurface protrusions is present."

Phil swallowed and said nothing.

"He's creating a small paradox in the hope that it'll look like a lighthouse in the night to Brozz, who has Paradox's powers now," translated Gwen.

"The experiential data is conclusive, vocal aspirations towards celestial entities encouraging intervention is extraneous," said Brainstorm.

"He's sure it'll work," said Gwen without prompting. "I'm less confident."

"Bah!" snorted Brainstorm as he worked. He slammed the hood of the time machine down, nearly catching Kevin's fingers in the process. "Complete!"

Kevin stepped back. "Should we be looking for cover?"

"Nonsense," nodded Brainstorm. One of his pincers reached out and flipped a switch on the dashboard inside the cockpit. "There isn't eminent danger from the temporal transmission device, only from the desired attractor."

"And the 'attractor' is Brozz," clarified Kevin.

"Affirmative."

"And you just... turned it on?" asked Kevin.

"Such was the intended purpose of the device." Brainstorm moved its arms like a shrug. "What erstwhile destiny did you have intended for such a technical accomplishment?"

"_How about a heads-up first?_" yelled Kevin angrily. The end of his sentence, however, was cut off by a flash of white light followed by Brozz pushing Brainstorm straight in his supermassive cranium and sending him ricocheting off the ground and into the edge of the Door to Anywhere. Chunks of purple glowing stone broke off from the artifact and went flying before freezing in mid air, and then slowly reassembling themselves back onto the Door as if the world had been put on rewind.

"Damn," Kevin said under his breath as he ran towards the cobblestone walkway by the manor. Brozz ignored him, however, and kicked the time machine violently to the side, causing it to skitter, roll, and then crumple in a heap along a hedge.

Gwen's eyes glowed as she held up her hands and summoned several large bands of magenta energy to wrap themselves around Brozz. "Get everyone out here!" she said to Phil.

Phil was already running for the manor calling out for the gang to assemble as he pulled a gun from his belt. He let loose several wild shots at Brozz as he ran.

There was a flash of light beyond the Door to Anywhere and a voice called out: "Ultimate Humungosaur!" On cue, the large alien stomped out and began firing missiles at Brozz from its fist before he rammed straight into Brozz's chest. The impact broke the bonds that Gwen had placed around him, but also sent the alien flying backwards and skidding along the lawn.

Kevin ran back up covered in gray stone and turned his fists into giant maces. "Now what?" he said.

"We need Charmcaster to open the door!" said Gwen as she watched Brozz stands up again, shrugging off the two attacks like they were nothing.

"I'm on it!" yelled a voice as a flying blur sailed past. Gwen looked up to see Charmcaster floating high above the Door to Anywhere and chanting.

There was a flash of magenta light on the opposite side of Gwen to Kevin and Grandma Verdona and Sunny appeared, already in Anodite form. At least, Gwen assumed they were Grandma Verdona and Sunny, they didn't actually look any different than Gwen herself did when she was in that form.

"Just like we talked about," said Gwen to her family. "As soon as the gateway is open, drive him towards it."

One of the anodites nodded. The other sighed and said, "Fine." They flew off.

A loud growl came from the fight between Ben and Brozz and then Humongosaur came flying overhead and crashed into the manor, eliciting several screams from inside.

Kevin grimaced and started running towards the manor to try and save people. "This is why a heads up would have been nice!"

Gwen felt pangs of guilt, but turned away from the collapsing building. She knew Max, Hex, Julie, and Kai were in there, but she had to leave them to Kevin. She was going to be needed against Brozz. She could see Grandma Verdona and Sunny circling around Brozz and striking him with bolts of energy. They seemed to be having even less effect than Gwen's shots were doing in the last battle. He was further adapting to Anodite attacks, hopefully not so much that their plan had no chance anymore.

Closing her eyes, Gwen let her Anodite form consume her again and she felt the rush of energy change her. She floated up slightly off the ground and took a deep breath. She didn't _need_ to breathe in this form, but it helped her stay calm. This was going to be a long battle, and if she didn't keep control... well, she's lose herself to her anodite nature. And as much as she was sure her Sunny and grandmother wouldn't mind, she didn't _want_ to forget her physical existence.

Though if it was a choice between losing herself and letting Brozz destroy everyone she ever loved, she might have to make that sacrifice.

"All right, it's open!" called out Charmcaster from high above.

Gwen's eyes snapped open and she flew into battle.

**-(X)-**

The first strike Brozz made against Ship's armor sent Julie flying into Ben and almost into the Door to Anywhere. She clipped the corner and went spinning several dozen times before landing hard face first into the dirt.

Ship moaned slightly but held himself together while Julie just breathed and felt all her joint ache as if they'd been twisted completely around. It wasn't until that very moment that she really truly comprehended how out of her league she was in this battle – but it was too late to back out now. She couldn't run away, couldn't flee in case she could buy even a second longer to help Ben's plans come together.

She pushed herself up to her feet again and felt her arms shake. She found it hard to make herself rush back into battle. She was terrified. She knew she had a right to be. She also knew it didn't matter. The planet was at stake. She just needed to put one foot in front of another. Put others before her own wellbeing and fight with all her life.

She just was having trouble doing it.

"Come on," she whispered to herself, trying to steel her nerves. She just couldn't stop shaking. Instead she found herself laughing. "Where is that stupid bravado? That ignorant rushing into danger you _always _do when you're pissed off at Ben? I could use that now."

Ship had nothing more than a quiet whimper to say, but Julie knew the answer. Anger was different than Fear. She could be an idiot when she thought she was right. But realizing she was about to die had drained all the courage out of her.

"No," she said quietly. "I'm not a coward."

"_Ultimate Big Chill!_"

Julie looked up to see Ben flying up as Big Chill and breathing fiery ice upon Brozz, freezing him briefly while the others tried desperately to push him towards the Door. Then the ice flashed white and Brozz was moving faster than the speed of light, pushing away the Anodites and grabbing Ben so hard it looked like his spine was going to break before he remembered to go intangible and sunk through the ground out of reach. He turned and started flinging chunks of rock up at Charmcaster, who was moving just fast enough to avoid getting hit.

She watched Kevin merge his arms into a giant axe and hack away at Brozz's legs only to be flicked several dozen feet to the side by an errant slap. Then Brozz turned towards Phil, who was firing away to no effect while slowly backing up. The Chamatronian turned suddenly, swinging his reptilian tail out and tripping Phil. The ex-Plumber fell and would have been crushed by the follow-up if Max hadn't suddenly dashed into and slapped several explosives onto Brozz' forearms as he grabbed Phil and tumbled away. The explosions created a huge plume of dirt and smoke which were quickly blown away by Brozz waving his massive hands around like propellers.

"He's toying with us," said a soft voice nearby. Julie turned to see Kai standing nervously beside her. She looked almost more of a wreck than Julie did and she didn't have the benefit of power armor.

"What?" asked Julie.

"We're nothing to him now," said Kai. "He's just swatting us around like annoying flies but he's not actually attacking."

Julie looked up at the battle, the explosions of mana and different powers from Ben. They were swarming Brozz as best as they could but the beast was unmoving. Just brushing them off while he... stood there.

"Why not?" asked Julie.

"I don't think he cares," said Kai. "He must not be here because of us."

"Then what could he..." Julie started and then stopped as it dawned on her.

"He's after the Door," said Kai urgently.

"I agree, but why?" said Julie. "Does he _want_ to go to Ledgerdomain? We were just doing what he wanted?"

"Maybe, or... I mean, it is called the Door to _Anywhere_, can't it go somewhere else?" said Kai.

"I guess so, but you need to know the true magical name of somewhere," said Julie, recalling what Charmcaster said about the door. "But if he's after the door, why wait until now when we're all here guarding it?"

"Then it's not just the door," said Kai. "Maybe he needs someone to open for him. Someone who knows the true names of places. Like... Hex or—"

"Charmcaster!" yelled Julie just as she saw Brozz smack her out of the sky using Kevin as a bludgeon. Brozz then tossed Kevin at the group of Anodites while he stalked towards where Charmcaster landed.

"He needs her to open the door," said Kai. "He's after her!"

Julie swallowed. This was her moment. This was where she could help. She just had to get over herself and do it. Even if she might die in the process. Ben did it all the time, though he was probably too egotistical to realize he was doing it. But Gwen and Kevin did it too. And Max. And even Kai knew. She wasn't so blind, she _knew_ she was walking into a death trap by joining this battle. And yet she was still here. She could be bold.

So could Julie. She had to be.

"Then there's one place she needs to be," said Julie. She launched off her foot and sprinted as fast as her legs, and Ship could carry her. She felt the armor slowly deform itself around her as she ran, shedding pieces that were bulky and becoming more sleek as she put all of her will into trying to move fast.

"Julie!" She could hear Kai calling out to her from behind, but she couldn't stop now. She made the choice already, she had to do this.

Her legs ached as Ship's armor pushed her beyond what she thought her body could ever do on her own. How much was her own muscles and how much was Ship blurred in her mind as she ran.

Within a couple seconds she had raced past Brozz and was closing in on Charmcaster. Her arms extended to scoop up the magic user's form and to her surprise, Ship's armor expanded and sloped to become a giant spatula to catch her with.

Without slowing down, she dug underneath Charmcaster and lifted, pulling some of the dirt with her, and then turned in a wide arc to aim for the door. Only seconds had passed since she had started running but she could see Brozz's speed increasing faster and faster as he targeted her. She knew that he was a being of time, that he could be anywhere in an instant, but he was also mortal, with mortal instincts and senses. For all the power Brozz had, she HAD to believe her _mind_ was working faster than his.

The Door to Anywhere loomed ahead but Julie kept at it, pushing Ship to move them faster. The distance closed rapidly. Ten yards. Five yards, One.

Then something hard and fast smacked her powerfully in the side, sending her flying off her feet. But her forward momentum was already too great. Even as she felt herself toppling end over end she could the Door still approaching.

Or more specifically, the slight dias the Door at on. Julie had only a quarter of a second but she flung Charmcaster forward, sending her through the doorway just before her face slammed into the steps and everything went dark.

**-(X)-**

"JULIE!" screamed Big Chill as he saw his girlfriend hit the steps leading up to the Door with an disturbing crunch and then limply tumble through, vanishing into the swirling magenta.

Brozz seemed momentarily stunned by the action but when that moment had passed he ran up to the Door and jumped through.

Everyone stared at what had happened, giving Kai enough time to run up and explain.

"He's after the Door!" she yelled. "He's trying to go somewhere, but we think he's after the door."

"We?" asked Max.

"Julie and me," said Kai. "He didn't care about the rest of you, he only showed up for the door. But he needed someone to open it for him, so he needed Charmcaster or Hex. And since Hex is in no state... well, he was after her."

"Go!" yelled Gwen when she flew down. She pointed at the Door.

Everyone else stared at her for a second.

"He _went through_," she said. "This was the plan! We have to go after him!"

"But... Julie," started Ben – who had transformed back into his normal form. "She—"

"You can't do anything for her here!" Gwen said quickly. "We didn't expect this, but this is still what we wanted. We HAVE to cast the spell now or we are going to lose, Julie, Charmy, _and_ Brozz!"

"She's right," said Kai, looking to Ben. "Only way is forward."

Ben seemed paralyzed for a moment, and then solemnly nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, let's go." He turned towards the Door and started walking.

Kai fell in step along side Ben and Kevin, while the Anodites flew above and the Plumbers followed behind. "I'm sure she's fine," she said quietly. "Ship would have protected her."

Ben nodded but said nothing.

His fearful expression was enough.


	15. Chapter 14 Stumble

**Chapter 14 – Stumble**

_Unknown_

Ledgerdomain

Gwen floated ... somewhere. She felt the pull from all directions, the gentle tug asking her to let go and relax, letting her essence experience everything the domain was. It was not strong, but insistent, not letting her forget that the universe had expectations of her, and she was defying them.

She tried hard to keep herself together. In her anodite form that was harder than normal so she forced her physical body back to the surface. With a rush of feeling, her glowing appendages resolved into arms and legs and she felt her hair turn from a giant bound tentacle back into thousands of strands again. It was tiring, but necessary if she didn't want to lose herself.

Once she had eyes again, she looked around, but was even further confused. The view hadn't changed. Just magenta everywhere for as far as her eyes could see. Nothing broke the featureless void. Nothing told her if she was even moving relative to her original position. She just existed, with as much to see as if she'd had her eyes closed.

_"Can you see it? Open your eyes, my darling."_

The voice broke through the monotony and Gwen searched around for the source.

_"I'm scared, Daddy."_

The voice seemed to permeate the mana flows around her, coming from nowhere at all. Perhaps coming from her own mind. Were these her own thoughts? Was she going mad?

_"There's nothing to be scared of, it's beautiful."_

Gwen let herself relax just a bit to see if she could sense the source in the mana. Her shape blurred slightly as the boundaries of herself deteriorated and her essence surged out to find what she was looking for.

"Okay... I'll look."

With a snap, she retracted herself within the confines of her physical body and turned her head to look where she felt the source of the voice. She found two people standing in on a shimmering rocky platform, facing to the side, away from Gwen. It was a young girl with long gray hair and a older, taller man with long white hair and a matching goatee. The girl had her hands cupped before her and her eyes tightly wrenched shut, while the man had a gentle touch on her shoulder while he kneeled beside.

The girl slowly opened her eyes and as she did a single red rose bloomed between her palms, bursting open with a sprinkle of dew. The girl's fearful look turned into a wonderfully charming smile.

"Daddy!" she said in excitement. "It's..."

"A rose," said the older man. "Hold onto it tightly, keep it alive."

"I'll try," said the girl as her wide eyes concentrated on the red flower.

Gwen tried to take a step towards the two but found her feet didn't touch the ground. She tried to fly closer but couldn't close the distance. No matter what she tried, the gap between her and the two people stayed the same.

"Hello!" she called out, but got no response. "Excuse me? I need a little help!"

The two seemed oblivious to her presence.

"Very good, little one," said the older man as the flower grew taller and sprouted leaves and thorns on its stem.

"What does it mean?" asked the girl.

The man suddenly looked burdened and his smile faded. "It means you are special. So very special in this world of empty constructs. You can create true life." He slowly moved around to look into the girl's eyes. "It means you will be feared."

The awe on the girl's face grew soft and she trembled. "I'm afraid, daddy."

"Shhhh," he quietly hushed. He reached up and put his hand over the flower and gently pushed it down into the girl's still-cupped hands. "It is not hard to hide, if you are careful. That is what you must do, if there is to be any chance for our people to live on. Keep your secrets close, and trust only your family to protect you. Me, your uncle Hex, and your aunt Cabra."

"And Mommy?" asked the girl softly.

The older man looked into his daughter's eyes then slowly drew her into a tight embrace before the two of them turned to mist and vanished altogether.

Gwen waited for a moment to see if there would be something else before speaking. "Charmy?" she said.

"Yes."

The voice was deep and familiar, and immediately behind her. Gwen spun with her hands at the ready to let lose a mana beam but the man was simply floating there, his head hung, looking tired and old. He looked just like the old man in the vision she just saw, though infinitely more aged.

"You're Charmcaster's father," said Gwen. "Spellbinder."

Spellbinder nodded and looked up. His eyes were sunken and were dimly glowing. In fact his whole form was slightly intangible and shimmering, as if he were a projection on a passing cloud.

"I ... I thought you were dead," said Gwen.

"Adwaita destroyed me," said Spellbinder. "Broke my essence and dispersed me throughout this dimension. Scattered and left for dead, he underestimated me. He never believed I had the power and patience to collect myself once more—" he suddenly partially dissolved with a look of pain on his face. A moment later he reconstituted himself again and relaxed. "At least, for a final conversation."

Gwen felt enormously burdened by this knowledge. "Then you should be talking to Charmcaster, not me. She's the one who needs to hear your voice again."

Spellbinder smiled warmly. "There is no time. I can appear but once and I need my message to be heard."

Gwen frowned sadly. "Why me?" she asked.

"Because of all the interlopers who have arrived today, you among them care most for my daughter," said Spellbinder. "And you alone will hear what I have to say."

Gwen felt flushed. "S-surely Charmy herself—"

"Won't hear me," interrupted Spellbinder, then he broke apart again, spending several seconds reforming. "How many daughters truly hear what their fathers are saying? I love her, and she loves me. But that can be blinding, sometimes."

Gwen refused to think too long on that message, as she had enough troubles for one afternoon. "What's do you need to say?" she asked instead.

Spellbinder turned slightly and waved his hand. The mana behind him changed to show a dusty image of a band of cloaked people following a woman holding a glowing symbol above her head. "Since the days of the Formative Era our people have walked between dimensions, following the call of the Alpha Rune. We have left ruin in our wake. From our first home in the Transactive Zone, to the Null Void, to here, the source of all mana, Yawatacsip. It is not intentional, but we are accountable. Here, at the core, however, we risk the integrity of all worlds."

The image behind Spellbinder shifted to show a city looking much like Karakas did when Gwen was last here. Half of the image showed the city splintered and broken while the other was covered in even more buildings and grafted skyscrapers.

"We take and copy, merge with what exists, and harvest more," said Spellbinder. He began to slowly deteriorate at his extremities and this time he did not reform. "Eventually it collapses, and we must flee. There is another way, however: unity."

The image changed again showing Charmcaster standing before a fractured magenta plane. Several cracks in the plane were glowing leading towards Charmcaster's outstretched hands in which held a purple rose.

The lower half of Spellbinders body was now completely dissolved. "She has the power to breathe life into this world and our people again," he said. "New, native life that will combine with us and the mana into something new. With the Alpha Rune and her ability, she'll have the power and structure to give our people a future again, free of oppression, free of destruction. She is the one we labored so long to protect and have waited generations to arrive."

The image faded away as Spellbinder was left with only his bust. He looked at Gwen with a bright smile. "When Adwaita is gone, you must make her take the rune and use it, only then can our new era begin." His neck and hair dissolved away leaving a floating face that looked slightly melancholy. "I knew she was the one, even when she was born. I never showed her my dreams. I should have. But I laid the groundwork. I gave her her true name." He dissolved completely, leaving only a single word that echoed in the mana of his wake.

"_Hope_."

**-(X)-**

Charmcaster closed her fingers and Phil, Kai, and Sunny appeared on the floating rock she was standing on. A feeling of exhaustion settled over her and she fell to her knees to catch her breath.

"Are you alright?" asked Phil as soon as he noticed Charmcaster on the ground.

"Peachy," spat Charmcaster.

Sunny was glowing radiantly with the mana around her, even though she had assumed her physical form, light was leaking from all over her body. Her eyes weren't even visible beyond the glow and motes of ruby light were simply floating off of her as she moved.

"Wow... this is," Sunny started, then just gave up. "Wow."

"What happened?" asked Kai. "I felt like I was trapped in some limbo."

Phil helped Charmcaster back to her feet and she looked at Kai. "Nearly," she said breathily. "Adwaita apparently destroyed the walkway from the Door. Without grounding, anyone inexperienced with Ledgerdomain might find themselves lost in the mana flows. I had to pull you all to me to get you to sync to my time."

"What about Brozz?" asked Gwen.

"What about him?" asked Charmcaster.

"He followed you in," said Kai. "He was after you. That's why he attacked."

"Me?" said Charmcaster. "Why me?"

"He needed someone to open the Door to Anywhere," said Kai. "But not to Ledgerdomain. To somewhere else. Where else does it go?"

"Uh, Anywhere," said Charmcaster. "Hence the name."

"Really?" asked Sunny, skeptical.

"Well, within reason," admitted Charmcaster. "You have to have a good idea of where in the dimension you're going to land, otherwise it will just drop you off at the easiest place."

"Easiest?" asked Phil.

"Highest mana concentration," said Charmcaster. "If the door hadn't been grounded on this side you'd drop right on top of Nis Virda, or wherever the Alpha Rune currently is." She shook her head and then shrugged off Gwen's help, standing on her own. "If he knows how the Door works – which my Uncle probably told him - he could go anywhere he knows about. And that's bad."

"Why?" asked Phil. "We got him here, we just need to cast the spell."

"Because _anyone_ with aptitude on this side can open the Door, not just my family," said Charmcaster. "If he finds someone willing to help him before we find him, he could leave before we even start casting."

"_Find_ him?" asked Sunny. "I never heard anything about trying to _find_ Brozz. I thought it was going to be obvious."

Charmcaster rolled her eyes. "It was _supposed_ to be obvious, but Adwaita destroyed the walkway! That means getting around is harder than ever and I can't very follow Brozz through the stepway to Nis Virda." She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I can't feel any battle. Wherever Brozz ended up, Adwaita hasn't found him yet."

"Can't you just pull him here like you did us?" asked Kai.

"I tried to get everyone who wasn't grounded," said Charmcaster. "You three were the only ones who weren't. Which means everyone else landed somewhere. But without the walkway, I can't tell where."

"So, to recap, we're lost and under a deadline," said Sunny. "Fabulous."

Charmcaster grumbled. "We need to get to Nis Virda, that's where Adwaita probably is and where we'll have to draw Brozz too if he isn't already there."

"What about everyone else?" asked Phil.

"There's nothing I can do for them right now," said Charmcaster. "I hope they find their way, otherwise it'll just be Sunny here sustaining the Diaspora spell."

"Oh, fun," said Sunny.

**-(X)-**

Julie felt like she'd been punched in the neck by a rocket and groaned as she opened her eyes and tried to roll onto her side.

"Easy," came a quiet voice and a hand was placed on her shoulder, keeping her on the ground. "I don't know if anything's broken."

Julie slightly turned her head to see Kevin Levin kneeling beside her, looking off into the distance. They were both in some purple land with chunks of dark grey rock floating idly by. She felt the hard stone beneath her and tried not to move too much as she looked to see what Kevin was looking at.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw a wall of jagged stone beyond which stood a tall gleaming city and a giant turtle-like monster walking around on its hind legs throwing bolts of magenta energy at the ground. It was all too distant to see exactly what the monster was shooting at, presumably the people living in the city it was traipsing around in, but enough to help Julie recognize the imminent danger of being so close.

An anodite flew into her field of vision and landed nearby. She looked like all the other anodites that Julie had seen so she wasn't sure if it was Gwen, her cousin Sunny, or their grandmother Verdona.

"What did you see?" asked Kevin.

"There's a path," said the anodite, whose voice identified it as Verdona. "Goes into the heart of the city, but it's a war zone in there. I think those Archamada cultists are actively fighting him and he's destroying everything in his way in retaliation." She shook her head. "Those people are being slaughtered."

"We need to get closer," said Kevin. "Slow him down a bit."

"I'm not sure that's wise," said Verdona. "His power is immense, we would be like flies."

"Not you," said Kevin. "You could fight him, right?"

Verdona looked away and narrowed her eyes. "Maybe I might be more distracting than the people he's killing, but even with the power available here, I doubt I could stand against that Alpha Rune he has. He might even be able to control _me_ if I got too close to that thing."

Kevin punched the ground nearby. "We can't just do nothing."

"We need to find out what happened to everyone else and Brozz," said Verdona. "And give Charmcaster's plan a chance to work. She has that ... signal rune to start the Diaspora spell, we can't do anything without her."

Kevin grumbled something inaudible. "Fine." He pulled out his Plumber's Badge and pressed on the faceplace. "Anyone out there? This is Kevin."

The badge flashed a few times and then turned red. Kevin shook his head in response. "So much for the easy path." He looked down at Julie. "How are you doing?"

Julie wigged her fingers and toes and nodded slowly. The pain was most sharp in her neck but it was still moveable. Everything seemed intact. "I think I'll be alright." She began to sit up. "What happened to Ship?"

A black and green form jumped out from behind Kevin but stayed a few paces away from Julie. "Ship?" it said sadly.

"You okay, little guy?" she asked as she rubbed her neck with her hand.

"Ship," said Ship. He jumped slightly closer then looked at her legs and then her head. "Ship? Ship, ship."

"It's okay, it's not your fault," said Julie. "I'm just glad you kept me alive."

"Ship!"

Julie started to get to her feet but felt a knife of pain down her back and she stumbled. She breathed deeply. "I might need your help though," she said.

Ship jumped up and merged with Julie again, this time becoming a thin layer across her body almost like a wetsuit with glowing green circuitry. When Julie went to stand again she could feel Ship taking some of the burden off her own joints and muscles and found it much easier to straighten her back.

Julie breathed out evenly. "Okay, let's get moving."

**-(X)-**

Ben grabbed Gwen as soon as she landed and dove to the side, leaving an opening just wide enough for Max to fire between the buildings at Brozz. They rolled away to safety while Max continued laying out a barrage of plasma blasts towards the Chamatronian. Individually, the shots were less than pin pricks to the beast, but it seemed the onslaught was at least enough to distract him from slaughtering the native Ledgerdomain inhabitants as they fled from his presence.

Gwen perked her head up and looked around in a panic. "What happened?" she asked.

Ben waved Grandpa towards them as he pulled Gwen into a narrow alleyway. "I don't know," said Ben. "Grandpa and I showed up right next to Brozz and everyone else is missing. Where did _you_ come from?"

Grandpa ran to the side and dove over to the cover next to Ben and Gwen.

"I'm not sure," said Gwen. "I was floating somewhere and then I just appeared here."

"Do you think the others will appear too?" asked Max.

Ben spun the dial on his watch and stopped on Jetray. He slapped the Ultimatrix and changed into the red flying alien. Then he slapped the symbol on his chest again. He grew bigger and more muscular, and his golden brow turned black and curved like a ram's horns. His skin took on a darker, bluish tone, a large fin grew out of his spine, then his hands and feet grew long, sharp claws. Finally his wings separated from his arms and his eyes started glowing green.

"ULTIMATE JETRAY!" he yelled with a deeper, modulated voice.

"I don't know," continued Gwen as Ben's spectacle finished. "That didn't happen last time."

"We can't hang around to find out," said Ultimate Jetray. "Do you know where Adwaita might be? We need to drive Brozz to him."

Gwen looked contemplative. "Abara talked about the Alpha Rune being at Nis Virda and Charmcaster later said that Adwaita was in possession of the Alpha Rune. I would guess he's there."

"Great," said Ultimate Jetray. "How do we get there?"

Gwen shrugged. "I dunno, I just followed Hex and Charmcaster."

Max peeked around the corner of the alleyway and then quickly pulled his head back in. "Look out!" he yelled as he began pushing Gwen and Jetray down the alley. A moment later the corner of the building he was sitting against exploded.

"All right, what about a guide?" said Ultimate Jetray.

Gwen looked around. "This looks like Karakas," she said. "I know how to get to the temple-like building we talked with Abara and Cabra at. Maybe they're still there? They could take us to Nis Virda."

"Fine," said Jetray. "Which way?"

Gwen pointed over the buildings to the left. Jetray nodded then grabbed Gwen and Max by their shirts and leaped up into the air. His wings extended and they soared up.

"Woah," said Jetray as the crested the top of the building and wobbled a bit. "This is more like flying in space than in the air."

"Charmcaster said large objects had inertia," said Gwen. "If you aren't grounded by one, you end up floating around. So that makes some sense... as much as anything makes sense here."

"I guess that's what happened to everyone else," said Max.

"There was a bridge when we exited the Door last time," said Gwen. "I don't know what happened to it."

"Should we look for it?" asked Max.

Gwen looked thoughtful. "No, let's focus on getting Brozz to Adwaita, it's what we're here for."

Jetray looked down. "Speaking of, I don't see him anywhere," he said. "Did we lose him?"

Gwen leaned to the side to look down. "We shouldn't have been trying to, we need to lead—"

She didn't get to finish before Brozz came flying up from between two buildings and punched Jetray into the ground, sending Gwen and Max flying.


	16. Chapter 15 Best Laid Plans

Chapter 15 – Best Laid Plans

_Ledgerdomain_

"WAY BIG!"

Ben turned in mid air and landed on his knees on top of a couple of buildings he hoped were empty. The attack from Brozz had left him dazed enough that he lost track of Max and Gwen, and frustrated enough that he wanted to bust out the big guns to deal with the Chamatronian.

Ben knew that using powerful aliens against Brozz ran the risk of him adapting and then possibly copying the abilities, but found it hard to conceive of a way that he could do that to a creature was simply bigger than him. He wouldn't _grow_ to make up the difference, would he?

"Grandpa!" Ben called out. "Gwen!" He looked around the crumbling buildings to see where either of them had landed. He also kept an eye out for Brozz, who had come out of nowhere before and now had vanished once more.

"Ben!" came a quiet voice to Way Big's distant ears. He looked down and scanned the wreckage looking for the source. His eyes quickly locked onto an explosion of rubble following a redhead flinging bolts of magenta light back into the plumes of smoke rising from the falling rocks.

Ben reached down silently and placed his hand down between a row of buildings separating Gwen from what she was firing at. The ground shook with the subtle impact, throwing Gwen off her feet and onto the ground. She looked up and rubbed her butt.

"Thanks, Ben," she said then began looking around. "Grandpa?"

"Over here!" came a gruff voice. Ben kept his hand in place but pointed at a half-caved in building off to Gwen's right. She ran over and began pulling pieces of stone off the sloping pile until she revealed a dark gap in the stone. A gloved hand reached out and Gwen gripped it firmly.

"Grandpa, are you alright?" she asked.

"I've been better, but I'm not seriously hurt," said Max. "Are you kids okay?"

Ben felt a painful strike against the palm of his hand he yelped. The sound echoed through the city like a roar and Gwen covered her ears against the deafening noise.

"I think Way Big has Brozz stymied for the moment," said Gwen. "Let's get you out of there." She raised her hand and giant, extended magenta versions of her arms shot out from her shoulders and entered the dark hole. Once through the solid beams separated into a pair of platforms pressing against the ceiling and floor. "Okay, Ben!"

Ben reached slowly down and used his finger to widen the small hole big enough for Max to crawl out. After he was clear, Gwen dispersed the energy and the rubble collapsed in on itself.

Ben felt an impact against his wrist that hurt even more than the one to his palm. He felt like his hand was almost cut clean off and this time pulled back his hand to rub it gently. Brozz wasted no time throwing a huge boulder at Gwen and Max as soon as Ben's hand was clear.

The rock sailed towards them at an incredible speed, leaving only a second for thought. Gwen acted instinctively and her physical body retreated into her anodite form. A blade of energy extended from her chest in a flash and severed the stone in half then continued onwards toward Brozz. The chamatronian braced himself for the impact but then dodged to the side at the last moment, causing the energy blade to careen off to the side. He watched the attack harmlessly sail past him, then turned in time to see Max's gun leveled at his head.

The charged plasma bolt erupted like thunder from the oversized gun Max was holding and blew Brozz several dozen feet away and into another building which promptly began to collapse.

Max looked at his smoking gun and tossed it aside. The huge pistol had charring along the barrel and all around the chamber. A large crack began at the nose and travelled halfway up the barrel.

"Just one shot?" asked Gwen, looking at the discarded weapon.

"At that setting, yeah," nodded Max.

Ben picked up his foot and placed it down between Brozz and his family. "I'll hold him off, Gwen, you find the way to Nis Virda," he said.

"You sure you'll—" started Gwen but was cut off by an explosion from the building that Brozz had fell into.

"Go!" said Ben urgently, and turned his foot to face where he expected Brozz to come from.

Gwen hesitated one second longer before Max grabbed her shoulder and urged her to move. They turned together and ran off in the direction Ultimate Jetray was flying before.

Ben studied the collapsed building as the pile of rocks shifted and rolled to the side. Brozz lifted himself up out of the debris and stood on top, looking angry.

"Come on, big guy," bragged Ben. "Let's see how well you handle someone who isn't smaller than you."

Just then the Ultimatrix chirped once and then Ben found himself back in his 16 year old human body again. He looked at his wrist and saw the dial glowing yellow.

"Seriously?" Ben said, exasperated. "Now you're doing this?"

Brozz cackled in a smug laugh as he stomped towards the much smaller Ben.

"Hey, you know, why don't we take a rain check?" said Ben, steeling himself. "I'm not really bigger than you anymore, can we wait until the Ultimatrix lets me go hero again?"

Brozz kept laughing.

"I guess not."

**-(X)-**

The screams were too much for Kevin to put up with anymore and he clutched his fist tightly. "I'm going in there," he said with a growl.

"You'll get yourself killed," said Julie. "We need to find Ben and Charmcaster."

"Thos people are getting slaughtered by that monster!" said Kevin. "We can't do nothing."

"If you get yourself killed, who will defend us when the spell is being cast?" asked Verdona, putting a gentle hand on Kevin's shoulder. "We don't even know them."

"I don't care," said Kevin, standing. "I won't let them die without a fight."

Verdona smiled kindly. "You're a good kid," she said as if realizing for the first time. "I'll help."

"Stay here," said Kevin to Julie and Ship. "You're still not up to 100%."

"I can help get the people clear," said Julie. "You two can try and stall Adwaita."

Kevin nodded and looked to Verdona. "See what you can do to him, I'll try and get the Alpha Rune off of him, Charmcaster said that's the source of a lot of his power."

After another moment Verdona nodded as well and took to the skies. As she soared up into the air, wisps of energy swirled around her and began to glitter like Amethyst. Kevin touched the stone wall beside them and turned a similar shade of dark gray. Then he leapt over the wall and smacked his hands together, forming a giant mace.

Verdona flew towards Adwaita, reaching him first, and let loose a massive beam of energy with a tip like a barbed arrow. It struck the turtle-like beast square in the chest and knocked him back onto his shell with an earth rumbling crash. Kevin quickly ran through the screaming crowds and fallen buildings to leap up onto his chest to head for the rune. He began slamming his mace-covered hands into the chain that held the Alpha Rune against Adwaita's chest.

Julie leaped through the panic and began directing people away from the area. With Ship's help she was able to pull several people free who had been caught in fallen chunks of building. She helped as many people as she could move away from the battle, but she questioned where she was sending them to. She knew nothing of the geography of this floating city, nor what direction Brozz would eventually come from. She worried that even greater danger await the people she pushed clear of the fight.

Adwaita swatted at Kevin a few times before turning over and picking himself up again. Once he was on his four flippers, Verdona began swirling with energy again. She lifted her arms and was aiming them carefully at Adwaita's head.

That was when the monster looked up and locked his dark eyes squarely on Verdona's anodite form. "No," his voice rumbled from deep within the shell. He rose a flipper and pointed it at the anodite and she froze in midair.

"Verdona!" yelled Kevin as he tried to scale up Adwaita's back to get at the chain again.

Verdona struggled under the sudden force that was keeping her still. "He's... stopping... me..." she struggled to say as her hands struggled to be lifted from her sides.

Kevin ran up Adwaita's back, jumped over his neck and the chain, and began slamming his fists into the back of his head. "Let her go!" he yelled.

"You are all as flies," said Adwaita. He twisted his flipper slightly and Verdona rocketed forward towards Kevin and slammed into him, sending both flying into a nearby house.

Julie bit her lip as smoke billowed out the hole in the roof of the house for several long seconds. Then, Kevin jumped up out of the roof and landed on the street in front. His chest and face looked to be cracked slightly along the dark stone. He turned towards Adwaita and began running. Moments later, Verdona shot up out of the hole in the roof of the house and began chasing him.

"I can't... stop," Verdona struggled as she flew.

"It's alright," yelled Kevin as he pushed himself to go faster. Verdona was rapidly gaining on him all the same. He stared down Adwaita. "I've been down this road before."

Verdona's eyes flared up once and then her hands balled into fists that began glowing brightly. "Look out!" she yelled.

Kevin glanced once over his shoulder at his pursuier, then began leaping onto the roofs of buildings to get closer to Adwaita. He glanced back every couple seconds at Verdona as she closed the distance between them. Then, when she was only a few dozen feet away, he threw himself into the air towards Adwaita.

Verdona's fists exploded in magenta light that streaked through the sky toward Kevin. He simply smirked in the response, twisting himself in mid-air, only catching the barest edge of the attack. The stone on his arm exploded into dust revealing his bare skin beneath, but the rest of the energy attack missed him and shot straight into Adwaita.

This time he roared as Adwaita was flung to the side and spun on one flipper before falling to the ground again.

Verdona felt herself gain control again briefly as Adwaita fell. "We have to get out of here," she said quickly. "He's going to take control of me again!"

"We'll never get far enough away," said Kevin, cracking his knuckles and then touching the stone building beside him to get a fresh coating of stone. "We'll just have to hold out until Ben gets here."

Verdona looked anxious as Adwaita rolled around to stand again. "I don't think he'll fall for that one twice."

"Then I'll think of something else," said Kevin. He shook his head. "We can't run now or these people are toast."

Verdona sighed and then tried to summon her reserves to fight Adwaita's powerful Alpha Rune. "It may be too late for them regardless."

"No," said Kevin. "As long as we fight, there is still a chance."

Verdona wished she could easily agree.

**-(X)-**

In the end, Charmcaster realized _making_ a new stepway to Nis Virda would be easier than locating the missing one from the Door to Anywhere. She knew the concepts and since she was positive that Nis Virda was the center of mana concentration on Ledgerdomain, she didn't have to worry about targeting the stepway. She only worried that when they went through, that they'd end up in the middle of a battle between Brozz and Adwaita.

Instead they ended up in the middle of a battle between Kevin Levin and Adwaita, who was using another Anodite as a weapon against him.

"Grandma!" yelled Sunny as soon as she saw the fight. Her physical body peeled off and she shot off to try and help.

"Wait!" yelled Charmcaster, but was unable to stop the impulsive girl. "Great, now _both_ of them will be lost to the rune."

"I'll see if I can help Levin out," said Phil as he cocked his gun and ran between buildings towards where the fight was raging on.

"Stay out of the way, I'll see if I can find Abara or Cabra," said Charmcaster to Kai.

"I can help!" insisted Kai.

"Fine, whatever!" said Charmcaster as she turned away. "Just don't become a hostage." She pulled a slip of paper out from her pocket and examined the rune etched upon it. Abara had given it to her to signal when they were ready to cast _Diaspora_, and they were as ready as they were going to be. It seemed to be a simple flare with identifying marker. Anyone equipped with a sympathetic reader would see the sign, anyone else would just see light. It was a simple enough rallying call. She just hoped Adwaita hadn't already destroyed the remains of Archamada.

Holding the paper between her fingers, Charmcaster closed her eyes and activated the spell. The paper flared orange then shot up high above the city and exploded into a brilliant yellow spiral. Charmcaster felt a lump in her throat as she saw it materialize. It was the sign of her father.

"Now what?" asked Kai, who despite her protest was still standing beside Charmcaster.

"Hopefully whatever remains will make their way here," replied Charmcaster.

The ground shook violently and nearly knocked Kai to her feet. "What was that?"

There was a flash of green light and Abara was standing between the two girls. "Nis is collapsing," he said without ceremony.

"_What?_" shouted Charmcaster.

"Adwaita is consuming the available structural mana to fuel his fight," said Abara. "It's causing the cities to become unstable." He shook his head. "If this goes on for long there will be nothing left to save."

"Did you find anyone?" asked Charmcaster. "I can't control the spell on my own."

"There are some," nodded Abara. "But they are few and far in between. Fewer still now that Adwaita has gone mad."

"What happened?" said Charmcaster.

"Hex," growled Abara. "He tried to _broker a deal_ with Adwaita in exchange for some power. He's an idiot. He never had faith in your plan." He punched a nearby building ineffectually. "Once Adwaita learned what was going on, he was furious, starting killing people in the street, warning them against the Cult of Archamada and the consequences of allying with us."

"Damn it, Uncle," said Charmcaster. "He ended up back on Earth. We left him there."

"Keep him there," insisted Abara. "We don't need his sort of help."

"Are they ready? Archamada?" asked Charmcaster.

Abara produced another slip of paper. "Get somewhere high," he said. "So they can see you. Then activate this rune. That will be the sign to start. They're all in Nis Virda... what's left of it, anyway. They're just waiting on you and the gods."

"Gods?" asked Kai.

"The Anodites," said Charmcaster without looking in Kai's direction.

The ground then shook again, throwing all three off their feet.

"That's going to make keeping the spell stable very hard," said Charmcaster. "Anyway we can reinforce the city's structure?"

"Not without sacrificing people casting the spell," said Abara. "You lose power for control."

"Or one sort of control for another," grumbled Charmcaster.

Kai knelt down in front of Charmcaster and Abara and placed her hands on the stone beneath their feet. "Maybe I can do something," she said, then closed her eyes. She opened her mind to the world around her and tried to feel out the flows of energy.

She immediately became aware of the chaos swirling around her and nearly blacked out from the sensory overload. She tried to calm some of the writhing mana surrounding them and found the energy to be flexible, easily reformed, but hard to keep stationary. She looked further.

Her mind brushed across the 'structure' that Abara had mentioned. There was an energy lattice around every solid object, she realized. It was a cage that bound the mana into a form that could be manipulated by physical beings. It was flimsy, she realized, not a true physical object, just one that had the properties of one. Like the world were made of papier-mâché and contained only air within. Nothing built this way would last, but Kai had no idea how to build an object that would.

She took ahold of that latticework and tried to reinforce it. If she could create something new, she would try to bring more stability to those things that already existed. She pushed and poked around the mana swirling inside the stone floor and encouraged it to join the framing, to add more support beams, as it were. Then she opened her eyes again.

The shaking had stopped and the ground beneath them felt still. "I think that will hold for a while," said Kai. Though she wasn't entirely sure that was true, it was the best she could manage.

Charmcaster stomped her foot once and nodded. "Seems better," she commented. Then she pointed to a tower in the distance. "Can you do it that?"

Kai looked at the giant building that stood nearly half again as tall as the monsterous Adwaita. "I... uh, that's big."

"Can you do it?" insisted Charmcaster.

Kai swallowed. "I'll try."

"Then come on." Charmcaster grabbed Kai by the arm and began flying up into the sky.

**-(X)-**

It only took two of Brozz's swings at his head almost connecting to convince Ben that he wasn't going to be able to get away from the Chamatronian on foot. He had tried to zig zag, duck behind buildings and jump through windows to slow Brozz down but all it did was give him a collection of cuts and scrapes and leave him milliseconds from death.

"Ben! Duck!" he heard his cousin say.

Ben dove to the ground because he had little other choice, there was no time to question it.

A jagged line of yellow light struck Brozz in the arm and then began snaking around his body, binding him swiftly. He fell with a heavy thud as he struggled to get free from the magic.

Ben looked up to see Gwen and Max running towards him with a woman in a long coat following close behind. He sighed in relief and got back to his feet.

"Took you long enough," he teased when they arrived. Gwen responded with a punch to the arm. "Ow! So, you're Cabra, I assume?"

The woman nodded. "With the walkway destroyed, Abara 'suggested' I stick around in case you ended up here instead of at Nis Virda." She scowled angrily. "I guess he was right."

"How do we get to Nis Virda?" asked Max without taking his eyes off of Brozz. The beast was struggling and the magic was starting to loosen. "Quickly, I hope."

"There is an intact stepway on the south side," said Cabra. "We should be able to use it to cover the distance."

"We need him to come along," said Ben, gesturing to Brozz behind him.

Cabra stared at the villain. "He doesn't seem like such a big deal. Hardly as big as Adwaita."

As if in spite, Brozz snapped through the yellow lines with his arm and swung wildly at the group of heroes. Ben tried to jump in front of the fist but was too slow to prevent Cabra from being punched in the shoulder and sent flying.

Max quickly grabbed Gwen while Ben turned to run as Brozz shrugged off the rest of the binding spell. Gwen leapt into the air and flew ahead to where Cabra landed. The mage was bloodied and groaning but still moving.

Gwen helped her up and offered an arm for her to hang onto. "Which way?" she asked.

Cabra groaned again and then pointed south. Gwen nodded, picked her up, and began flying.

Ben and Max tried their best to keep up, hoping the magic slowed Brozz down enough that it would at least be a few seconds before he caught up.

"What's going on with the Ultimatrix?" asked Max as they ran.

"It's in its scanning mode," said Ben. "I guess it finally realized Brozz was a new alien. Terrible timing, really."

Max shook his head. "You get all the luck."

"Good and bad," commiserated Ben.

Max risked a look behind them and then pushed Ben roughly away causing him to crash against alley wall beside him. As a result, a chunk of flying building barely missed hitting him. "Yikes!" said Ben as he scrambled away from the debris.

Max spun on his heels and aimed his pistol upwards a couple stories and began firing over Brozz's head. After a few moments bits of rock and glass began raining down on the street.

The Chamatronian grinned but slowed. "Is this the best two Tennysons can do?" he laughed as he swatted away a few larger chunks. "I can do this all day!"

Ben recovered and ran over to his grandfather. "I can't see Gwen," he said. "They must have gone pretty far ahead." He looked at his wrist and the Ultimatrix's blinking yellow dial. "Come on already!"

"Broke your toy?" asked Brozz as he closed in on them.

"We don't need it for the likes of you," said Max.

Ben looked at his grandfather's stern expression and at Brozz's joyous one. He could see already how this was going to play out, and it wasn't to plan. He swallowed.

"Go," said Ben, standing in front of Max. "Get away. I'll take care of this."

"Ben..." started Max.

"No, please," insisted Ben. "I know you're the Magister, but you're my grandpa too. I've already gone through you dying once already. You don't have to end up like your ancestors did."

"My father didn't lose to Brozz," said Max.

Ben nodded. "Because he left."

Max smiled and put his hand on Ben's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Ben. But neither of us can do this alone." He pulled out another gun and placed it in Ben's hand. "Together is our only shot."

Ben looked at the gun and shook his head. "Where are you keeping all these weapons?"

Max grinned. "Plumber's secret."

Brozz stomped up in front of the two Plumbers and stared down at them. "How touching. Now you can die together."

Ben and Max looked up at Brozz and simultaneously raised their guns.

"Just try it," said Ben.

**-(X)-**

Charmcaster stared off the edge of the building and frowned. Adwaita was clearly toying with Kevin, Phil, and Julie while Sunny and Verdona flew around trying to stay out of the Alpha Rune's control. It wasn't a battle, it was like swatting annoying flies. It wouldn't last long.

"You should start," said Abara for perhaps the fifth time.

"Not until Brozz shows up," said Charmcaster. She spied the three stepways at the perimeter of the battle and hoped that one of them would activate soon. "We need to give Ben and Gwen more time."

"If Adwaita notices up here, your whole plan is dead in the water," insisted Abara. "You need to send up the signal."

"No!" shouted Charmcaster. "They're depending on this to take out both of them. I won't let them down." She looked determined. "Not this time."

"Those Earthers are going to get killed!" Abara said pointing down at the fight.

"They've fought things like this before," said Charmcaster. "They'll last until Brozz shows up."

"And if they don't?" said Abara.

"They will."

Abara shook his head and spat angrily.

Kai looked up for a moment but kept her fingers in contact with the top of the building they were on. "Something's happening," she said.

Charmcaster spun and looked at her. "Where?" she said quickly.

Kai motioned with her head towards the northern stepway and Charmcaster looked in that direction. Sure enough the stepway was glowing dimly, indicating an incoming traveler.

"Come on," said Charmcaster quietly.

With a flash, an anodite carrying a woman in a longcoat came shooting out of the opening and arced upward into the sky.

"It's Gwen!" said Charmcaster.

"And Cabra," said Abara. He moved his fingers in the air briefly and send a spark of blue-green light up into the sky briefly. The anodite turned in flight a few moments later and soared up to the edge of the building.

"Get ready!" said Gwen as she dropped Cabra off on the roof. "He's coming." She landed and looked around briefly. "How do we power the spell?"

Charmcaster held up the paper with the rune on it. "When the spell is cast you'll see a sigil that looks like a bullseye. Just pour all your mana into it. The more the merrier. It's not a very efficient spell, but it'll work if we have enough power." She looked down at the battle. "You'll have to get your family to join in."

Gwen nodded and moved to fly down towards the battle.

"Watch out for the Alpha Rune!" said Charmcaster quickly. "It can control you."

Gwen leapt off the building and sped downwards towards her grandmother and cousin.

Charmcaster looked back towards the glowing stepway. "How far behind were they?" she asked.

Cabra nodded. "Not far, they were... well, I'm not sure how to explain it."

"What do you mean?" asked Abara. "They who?"

The stepway flared up again and a human figure rolled through. He looked older and rounder than Ben, and Charmcaster presumed it was Max. He took in his position briefly then ran to the side out of the path of the stepway just before it flared again.

This time a hulking lizard stormed through, its face covered in something tacky and orange, while a smaller boy was clinging to the lower back of the beast as it charged. Brozz was clawing at whatever was covering his face while Ben was occasionally yanking on his spine to change his direcftion.

"He's riding him," said Charmcaster with a dumbfounded expression.

"He's HERE," said Abara roughly. "That's what you wanted. Start the spell."

"They should be closer—" started Charmcaster.

"No time," said Abara. "Just do it!"

"I we don't catch them both in the spell—"

"We can't let him rampage any longer!" shouted Abara. "Cast the spell!"

Charmcaster grimaced and then threw the paper up in the air and activated the rune placed upon it. It sent up a purple symbol that looked like an upside lowercase 'e'. It glowed briefly and brightly and hopefully every Archamada member left could see.

Leaving only a few seconds after the sign faded for people to prepare, Charmcaster raised her hands and began the motion for _Diaspora_. As she traced out the initial pattern her hands glowed brightly, feeding energy into the pattern of lights forming above her head.

Abara and Cabra positioned themselves on either side of her and began their own casting to augment the spell that Charmcaster was doing. Their hands formed threads of golden light that traced up through Charmcaster's spell and wove around it, making it bigger, brighter, and more complex.

Suddenly there was a flood of force that washed over the whole group and caused Charmcaster to momentarily falter. She corrected herself swiftly and then spared a look down at the fight below.

Adwaita wasn't even paying attention to Kevin anymore even though the Osmosian was still striking him in the chest. Instead, he was staring up at Charmcaster and sending out waves of distorted light out from the Alpha Rune.

"He's trying to shut the spell down," said Abara. Then he grunted. "The Alpha Rune is stealing our mana."

"Let me try something," said Kai. She closed her eyes again and then slid her hands further apart on the roof. As she did, a transparent half-bowl began to grow out from the edges of the roof and curve upwards to stand between the mages and Adwaita, but stopped short of getting in the way of the spell or the glowing weave work above them. "How's that?"

"Better," said Cabra, letting out a breath of air.

More golden light began cresting up over the sides of the building and joining in with Cabra and Abara's contributions. Dozens of threads of yellow light were now gently floating up from places across Nis Virda and heading towards the pattern. As each thread touched the spell, it fused it in place and caused it to glow an even brighter yellow.

A rumbling shook the building from below.

"Kai..." said Charmcaster as she tried to keep the spell stable.

"I'm working on it," said Kai. "It feels like he's attacking the foundation!" She moved her fingers once more. "I don't know if I can keep us upright if he demolishes the floors beneath us."

"Try!" said Abara.

Kai nodded as her brow furrowed. The building shook again.

Charmcaster looked back down to see what Adwaita was going to do next. That's when she caught sight of Ben, still riding a blinded Brozz, come charging into the open battlegrounds below.

"Hey Brozz!" Ben was shouting. "I've got a friend you've just _got_ to be introduced to."

Without slowing down, Ben yanked on Brozz's neck and caused him to charge straight into Adwaita's lower flippers. The large turtle twisted on its other foot and topped backwards onto his shell. Brozz collapsed onto the floor sending Ben flying head over heels into the ground.

The waves of force – which had been blunted by Kai's barrier – now stopped entirely.

"This is it!" yelled Charmcaster. "It's time!" She turned her fingers and aimed the center of the weaving down the edge of the building and at the pile of Brozz and Adwaita below. "GWEN!"

One of the flying anodites then turned and flew straight towards Charmcaster. A moment later the other two followed suit and they all soared behind the pattern and took up positions equidistant from one another.

Gwen then dropped her hands to her sides and her head glowed brightly before a huge beam of magenta light erupted from her chest and struck the center of the pattern. The lights seemed to flex and strain against one another at first, then, gradually, the magenta color overtook the yellow light and began filling the concentric circles.

Verdona and Sunny quickly did the same and added their own slightly differently tinted light to the pattern until it was bulging with energy.

Charmcaster slowly cupped her hands together and held them down towards Adiwata and Brozz. With a sigh, she quickly flung her hands apart and shouted.

_DIASPORA!_

**-(X)-**

Kevin grabbed Ben by the collar and yanked him away before the gigantic purple blast exploded onto Brozz and Adwaita. The force of magical energies still blew them both backwards off their feet and they scrambled to take cover behind some rubble.

"Ben, are you alright?" asked Julie as she crept over to them.

"Julie!" said Ben and quickly reached over to hug her. "Thank goodness you're alright."

Julie winced from the hug. "A little worse for wear, actually, but Ship protected me."

Beside her, the small mechamorph cheerfully jumped. "Shiiip!" it said.

"Good boy," said Ben.

"Guys," Kevin said as he looked over their shelter.

Julie and Ben peeked over and watched. The magenta spell was raining on the two monsters with the force of niagra falls, but still, Brozz was shifting under its force and trying to stand. Adwaita, however, despite his larger size, seemed to be faring worse, and was roaring out as he flailed. A few of his random swings hit Brozz and caused him to collapse onto his hands and knees again, but moments later, he'd be trying to stand.

After nearly a minute of the powerful force, Ben began to see the small motes of blue light appear around Brozz and Adwaita. They would start dim then grow brightly before breaking off and floating away from the spell and into the mana flows above. Each time a blue mote of light flew away it became just a little harder to see the two through the spell.

"Geeze, it literally is causing them to disintegrate," said Kevin, a little uneasily.

"It's working faster on Adwaita than Brozz," said Julie.

Ben nodded. "But it IS working." Then Brozz succeeded in getting to his feet, though for the moment he just stood there. "Somewhat."

Brozz slowly took a step towards the edge of the spell.

Kevin stood. "He's trying to get out." He moved to step over the rubble but Ben grabbed him.

"Are you crazy?" Ben said. "You step into there and you'll disintegrate too!"

Kevin hesitated. "We can't let him get out."

"He's moving too slow, he's not going anywhere," assured Ben. As he spoke, Brozz stumbled again and landed on his hands and knees beside Adwaita.

There was a loud roar again from the spell and the three looked to see Adwaita clutching to the Alpha Rune on his chest as it started to turn black.

"Um, you don't think destroying the Alpha Rune might be a _bad_ thing, do you?" asked Julie.

Adwaita's flipper suddenly lurched upward and grabbed Brozz, pulling him up and onto his chest.

"STOP THEM," came Adwaita's growl. "BEFORE ITS—"

Then Adwaita roared again as the Alpha Rune turned completely black. As it did, the disintegration rapidly sped up and a flood of blue particles of light appeared before dispersing out of the spell and into the sky. When the lights were gone, only Brozz remained, on his hands and knees, with the Alpha Rune lying on the ground in front of him.

"Okay, this was a bad idea," said Kevin. "Tell them to stop." He pointed up at the building.

"How?" shouted Ben. "I can barely hear you two over the sound of that spell." He looked at Ship.

Julie was ahead of him though. "Come on!" she shouted to Ship and stood to allow the power armor to form around her. She leapt up into the sky and Ship formed a pair of jets around her ankles to fly her up the side of the building. A moment later she vanished over the edge of the roof.

Ben and Kevin looked quickly back and forth from Brozz, who was slowly reaching forward, to the top of the building where the spell was pouring down from.

Kevin shook his head. "We're too late."

Ben stared as Brozz grabbed the blackened Alpha Rune. As soon as he touched its surface there was a sudden stillness for two seconds and then the rune broke apart into a snake that suddenly reared up and bit Brozz's arm before burrowing under his skin. Brozz clenched his muscles and cried out as black runes began appearing all over his scales forming a network of lines that all converged on his face leading into two black pits where his eyes used to be. His skin rippled as he writhed in what seemed to be pain.

Then there was a flash of silver light and a shockwave exploded outwards throwing Ben and Kevin into the air and toppling over all the buildings around them including the one the spell casters were on. The building slowly tipped and then began breaking apart as it fell, destroying other buildings it landed on and throwing piles of rubble in all directions including onto where Kevin and Ben were thrown. It took only an instant and they were covered in darkness.

**-(X)-**

Using the light of the yellow dial of the Ultimatrix, Ben dug himself up to the surface and managed to find the magenta lights of the mana flows again. He felt like he'd been locked in a clothes dryer for a half hour. He'd been toppled, thrown, raked against the rough rocks, and was utterly exhausted.

When he finally looked around, however, that seemed like nothing.

The city was almost entirely gone. Nis Virda had been city the size of San Jose at the start of the battle and now it was a pile of stone and dust that stetched as far as Ben could see. He wasn't even sure where he was in relation to the stepways or where the battle had taken place. He could have been thrown miles or was at the same place, it would be impossible to tell.

And crouched in the center of the destruction was Brozz, now covered in black and glowing silver runes across his body. His eyes were two shining purple orbs emitting light from deep within his sockets. The Alpha Rune had completely remade him.

Ben tried to walk but ended up limping towards his enemy. He got a dozen steps forward before falling and tumbling down a slope of jagged rocks, tearing up the skin along his shins and forearms.

Brozz looked at him as Ben came to a stop and lifted his head.

"Are you it?" asked Brozz, calmly. "The last? No more Tennyson Plumbers?"

Ben looked around at the vista of rubble. No signs of any life remained. "Yeah," he said. "Just me."

"Then I will enjoy this," said Brozz.

"And then what?" asked Ben. "Two centuries of revenge for what? What do you do next?"

Brozz looked around slowly. He raised one hand and slowly made a fist causing the landscape to distort and shift at the flick of his wrist. "It seems I can do anything I want next." He relaxed his hand and the rubble returned to its original piles of rock.

"I finally understand," said Brozz. "Magic. Nobody I've stolen from really understood it. Even the time walker didn't comprehend it, though he had come to accept it. It truly is the soul of life."

"You can understand that but still want revenge?" asked Ben, desperately.

"Of course," smiled Brozz. "One must have priorities."

Ben hung his head and breathed out.

"Come on," said Brozz. He curled his finger towards Ben and the stone beneath Tennyson's feet shifted and lurched forward, flying towards Brozz.

Ben found himself a few feet from Brozz, standing on a stone platform protruding at an angle from the dust. He tried to hold himself tall but his body ached.

Brozz leaned in toward Ben. "Ready for the end?"

Ben swallowed, then licked his lips and dug deep into his soul and tried to find the very best insult he knew.

"Brozz, I—" started Ben, but he was interrupted by a chirp at his wrist. He looked down to see the dial had returned to green and was slowly pulsing light. Raising his arm, he tapped on the dial. It began to speak.

"Presence of Chamatronian DNA _Confirmed_. Disabling Master Lock. Evolution mode available."

Ben frowned. "Evolution mode?"

The dial rose up on its own and quickly spun through hundreds of aliens before settling on ... a human. In fact, it looked at lot like Ben himself, except there was a glowing light in center of the holographic figure's chest.

Ben's eyes slowly rose up from the hologram to look at Brozz. He seemed, oddly, amused.

"Oh, go ahead," said Brozz. "It's not like anything you've done has ever been more than nuisance. Let's have a final battle."

Ben smiled weakly. "It's your funeral."

Then he slapped the dial.


	17. Chapter 16 Evolution

Chapter 16 – Evolution

_Ledgerdomain_

It was different.

Ben had felt the wave of change emanating from the Omnitrix – and then the Ultimatrix – hundreds of times now. It was like a tidal wave, crashing into him with the force of a sports car, carrying him away and throwing him onto the rocky shore in its wake. It wasn't painful, exactly, just shocking. Like jumping into cold water on a summer day only a thousand times more surprising.

But this time it wasn't. It was soothing. The warmth was comforting as it moved across his chest, loosening the tight muscles that had pulled tight across his lungs with the earlier impacts of the battle. The aches and pains of the long day melted away and he felt new again, healed.

He opened his eyes when it was over and looked down. The Ultimatrix had moved from his wrist and onto the center of his chest but otherwise he was unchanged. Just the same old Ben.

"Huh," he said. "I expected more."

Brozz punched him in the chin and sent him flying. The dizziness was unforgettable, as was the ache in his jaw that he was sure should have killed him. And yet, he was just hurt. Hurt like the pain of having his chin broken in half, but not dead at all. He was flying end over end through the air and he wanted to get his feet back on the ground and ready for a fight.

"FOUR ARMS!" Ben cried out without even knowing why. He certainly didn't expect two additional muscular arms to simply sprout from his chest without that familiar feeling of change that normally accompanied the shift into an alien form.

Ben twisted in mid air and landed on his feet and used his four arms to slow his motion as he skid across the ground. He eventually ground to a stop and straightened himself. He looked at his four arms with the dawning of comprehension.

"XLR8!"

Ben's legs changed to become angular and bent, with wheel-like appendages at the toes. He started to run and the world became a blur as he flew towards Brozz at lightspeed. Just before they would have impacted, he wound him his two right fists and punched Brozz in both the chest and face at the same time, sending the alien reeling back several steps.

"Okay, this is a little better," said Ben with a grin. His lower arms were at his hips while his upper arms crossed over his chest.

Brozz rubbed his cheek and laughed. "You think this is what you need to stop me?"

"That and about a million others," said Ben. "I've gotten a lot of mileage out of them over the years. Let me show you what I've learned." He smiled. "CANNONBOLT!" Large yellow panels of armor grew out of Ben's back and legs.

Turning to the side, Ben ran out with XLR8's speed in a wide arc targeting Brozz. As he was closing in on the Chamatronian, he flipped into a ball and rolled on the armor plating the rest of the way, slamming straight into Brozz and slamming him into the ground as he plowed over him. A few dozen feet away he launched himself into the air and uncurled to land on his feet again.

Brozz rolled off his back and onto his feet as the stood. He looked amused. "Cute." He raised one hand and pointed it at Ben. The black runes on his body glowed green. "ESCATAVIN!" he shouted and a purple lightning bolt erupted from his fist and zig-zagged across the space between them.

The magical bolt struck Ben from the side and felt like he had just been poked with a cattle prod that was hooked up to the city's power grid. Ben screamed and tried to move his jaw while his muscles were involuntarily clenching from the pain.

"C-C-C-CHROMASTONE!"

The crystals quickly grew out of Ben's body like the quills of a hedgehog and began collecting the energy of the spell in his large prismatic shards. The magical energy felt weird as it stored up in the protruding spikes and Ben thought it was going to explode back on him even as he absorbed it. He quickly slapped his palms together and pointed them back at Brozz.

A colorful beam of energy shot out from Ben's hands and struck the aliens chest. Brozz staggered slightly and then quickly disabled the spell, cutting off the supply of power being used against him. He glared back at Ben, and then growled.

"SOLIDITIOUS!"

Six giant pentagrams appeared around Ben, forming a cube around him, and forcing all his energy back into the room. Ben dodged the reflected shot and then shrugged off the remaining power towards one wall of the prison. The colorful beam bounced off the pentagrams and then dissipated.

"BIG CHILL!"

Ben felt two large but lightweight wings grow from his back and he willed himself intangible. He walked quickly through the boundaries of the spell around him and then became solid once more.

"Hey, Brozz, _chill out_," said Ben. He opened his mouth and shot out a beam of frozen fire that encased Brozz in a thick block of ice. "HUMONGOUSAUR!"

Ben's small frame grew proportionally until he was nearly six and a half feet tall and the muscles in his four arms bulked out. Using XLR8's speed, Ben wound up and charged into Brozz and slammed him hard into the rubble, punching him with each fist as they made contact with the ground.

Ben took several deep breaths and hunched slightly as he watched Brozz roll over and get onto his hands and knees with a rumbling. It sounded like a laugh.

"Tired already?" asked Brozz. He leaned back onto his legs and slowly picked himself up again. He lifted a hand and made fist. "I'm just getting warmed up."

The ground under Ben suddenly lurched up, sending him flying back, before splitting into a wide chasm that exposed the purple mana below. The rubble merged into a pile of jagged spikes that cut into Ben's back as he fell into them. He screamed loudly.

"Ah, tis' but music," said Brozz happily.

**-(X)-**

Charmcaster blasted her way back to the surface using an explosive spell, shining light back down into the small cavern she'd made during Brozz's sudden attack. She looked back into the darkened passage at Cabra and Abara, who were holding each other tightly as they walked.

"You two alright?" she asked quickly. Cabra looked down at Abara and then back up at Charmcaster. She nodded slowly. "Kai?"

A series of groans emerged from the darkness as Kai pulled herself back up to Charmcaster's level. "I'll live," she said finally. Then she looked at the destruction around them and the distant rumblings of Ben and Brozz fighting. "By gods," she said with a gaping jaw. "He destroyed everything."

"How many people were left in the city?" asked Charmcaster to her aunt and uncle.

"Many," said Abara. "Most fled Adwaita's rage, but many remained out of spite or to help us. All those still loyal to Archamada are here... _were _here."

Charmcaster grimaced and shook her head. This was not how she was supposed to gain back her people's independence. Once again those with power had screwed up everything.

"We got to help Ben," said Kai, distracting Charmcaster from her thoughts.

"We daren't," said Cabra. "He possesses the Alpha Rune now, our spells would be nothing to him. Worse, if he really understands what he has, we risk falling under the same control the Gods fell under before Adwaita."

"He gets it," said Charmcaster grimly. "Or he's an incredibly fast learner. Look how the mana flows are focused on him now. He's drawing power from Ledgerdomain himself to feed the spells and attacks he's using."

Abara winced and he and Cabra knelt on the ground to relief the strain of standing. "Either way, unless we can neutralize or separate the Alpha Rune from him, we can't do anything here. He's just as powerful as Adwaita now."

"And since it looks like he _ate_ the Alpha Rune..." said Cabra.

"We're doomed," Charmcaster finished.

"No," said Kai, walking up next to Charmcaster. "We can neutralize his power."

Charmcaster laughed cynically. "Hah! With what? You have a stasis field generator on you?"

Kai held her hands before her. "I _am_ a stasis field generator." Then she started walking towards the battle.

Charmcaster ran in front of her and placed her hand on the Native American's shoulder. "This is crazy, you're small fries compared to him."

"I can do this," said Kai. "I can stabilize a sun. Kevin said so."

"Your _people_ can stabilize a dying sun," said Charmcaster. "And it probably takes more than one. You're a half-blood trainee, this is way beyond you."

Kai glared at Charmcaster. "You don't know that, and I have to try." She walked around her.

"And what if he decides to attack you while you're _trying_?" called out Charmcaster from behind her. "You aren't that great on defense, you know!"

Kai looked back slightly as she walked. "Then it'll buy Ben an opportunity to get him from behind."

"With your _life_!" Charmcaster yelled as she watched Kai walk away.

**-(X)-**

Gwen was being shaken awake. She could feel it, which meant she was in her physical form again. She hadn't lost control. She was afraid she would. During the spell, she could feel herself being used to rip apart Adwaita, it was awful, but she said nothing, bore through it, because it was necessary. But it was _awful_.

She never wanted to be used like that again.

"Get up, Gwen!"

Gwen's eyes shot open and she saw her grandmother staring down at her. She wasn't sure how she knew it was her, seeing as she was in her Anodite form which was virtually indistinguishable from Sunny's. Except it wasn't, as Gwen could see now. There were obvious differences between them, it just wasn't visible ones.

"What happened?" asked Gwen, shaking her head.

"Brozz bitch slapped us," said Sunny, coming up behind her grandmother.

"Sunny!" scolded Verdona.

"Geeze, whatever," said Sunny with a flick of her wrist. "Brozz took the Alpha Rune and turned the spell back on us. Then dropped this building on our heads for fun." She pointed upwards.

Gwen looked and noticed that Verdona was keeping a crumbling ceiling from crushing them with a thin barrier of magenta energy. All around them were walls of broken stone and glass, with shards of metal and plastic sticking up out of the ground around their feet.

And Julie! Gwen quickly got up onto her knees and crawled over to the still form of Ben's girlfriend, still wrapped in Ship.

"Julie?" she ventured, and reached out to shake the girl. "Ship? Is she alright?"

"Shiiip..." cried Ship in a tone that sounded sad and uncertain. Gwen couldn't understand the Mechamorph like Julie could, but she could get the gist of what he was trying to say.

"She looks like she's in bad shape," said Gwen, turning towards Verdona. "Ship'll keep her intact, but we should get her to a doctor."

"We need to get out of here first," said Sunny. "And avoid whatever hell is being raised up there."

Gwen frowned. "Up..." she said, then turned her attention upwards. She could distantly feel it, the bursts of energy, the rumbling, but only because she'd tried to focus on it. "Ben is still fighting Brozz!" she realized.

"Or Brozz is crushing everyone left in the city," said Sunny. "We don't know! I'd rather we dig ourselves out that way." She pointed to the side.

"We have to help," said Gwen.

"Now, why on earth would I have thought you would say anything different," Sunny said dryly.

"I can open a way," said Verdona. "If you're ready."

Gwen rubbed her head. She felt like crap, but she could hardly imagine what Ben felt like if he was still fighting. "Do it," she said. She pointed her hand at Julie and created a platform with her mana that she used to scoop up the unconscious girl and carry her.

Verdona spread her arms apart and the barrier above their heads formed a wedge that split the ceiling like a door and exposed the light of Ledgerdomain's purple sky. Sunny flew up immediately and Gwen followed with a series of stairs she forged out of her mana.

On the surface they saw the fight. Gwen could hardly believe her eyes. It looked like... like Ben had become Kevin when they were kids. Ben was huge, with four muscular arms, a pair of blue wings, spindly legs, diamonds growing from his sides and shoulders, and his head was _on fire_.

He also looked exhausted, but he was still moving. Jumping or flying while throwing beams of cold fire, colored energy, and jets of hot plasma. All the while Brozz looked amused. Enduring some of the weaker attacks and charging through the stronger ones.

"He's going to get killed," Gwen realized aloud. She put Julie down and started to walk when Sunny stopped her.

"That Alpha Rune made short work of us," warned Sunny. For once she sounded completely serious. "I wouldn't get closer if I were you. You might..." she trailed off.

Gwen nodded to her cousin. "I know, but that's what we do. Ben knew it. I know it. Kevin knows it."

Sunny stared back for a moment then coalesced into her physical body. She looked to be at a loss. "Why?" she said. "Why these people? Why _earth_? There are other places that matter a hell of a lot more."

Gwen gave her a half smile. "Not to me." She stepped to the side and kept walking towards Brozz. She didn't hear her cousin follow. That wasn't unexpected.

**-(X)-**

As Kai got near to the battle, she saw Gwen approaching from another angle, emerging from beyond another tall pile of broken building and steel. Gwen looked relieved.

"You're alright," said Kai with a nod.

Gwen smiled. "Brozz tried to drop a building on us, but he underestimated my family."

"Mine too."

Kai turned suddenly and saw Charmcaster coming up beside her. "I suppose in our case we were technically on the building before it dropped, but it all comes out the same." She looked evenly at Kai's shocked expression. "Hey, this is my home, if anyone is going to walk into death over it, it's going to be me."

Gwen nodded. "And he's my cousin, I can't let him get killed alone."

Kai looked awkwardly between the two. "I don't have a convenient excuse," she admitted. "But I think I can help. Hope you don't mind."

Gwen patted her on back.

Then the ground started to rumble beneath them. Gwen created a platform and jumped onto it and Kai quickly followed suit. Charmcaster braced herself against the rumbling.

A muffled voice arose from the ground. "That's all very touching—" it said. Then a chunk of rock tumbled aside and Kevin – covered in stone – burst out from the ground, pushing aside the debris, and climbing up onto his knees. He turned immediately and reached down into the hole and pulled out Max, and Phil.

After a grunt, Kevin continued. "Don't you guys think _maybe_ we should go help Ben now and talk about why _later_?" He stood up and put his hands on his hips.

Gwen leaped off her platform and hugged Kevin. "You're okay," she breathed.

Kevin curled his arms around her and rubbed her back. "I'm durable," he said. "Come on, let's go get killed for Ben."

Gwen stepped back and nodded. "Do we have a plan?"

"Kai thinks she can neutralize the Alpha Rune, if we give her enough time," said Charmcaster.

"What?" said Gwen. "How?"

Kevin turned and moved up to Kai, then put his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. "Energy is energy, it's no different than the gun. You can do this. We'll keep him off of you while you try."

Kai froze under Kevin's earnest statements, then quickly turned her head away, blushing. "O-okay," she said quietly and Kevin turned back away from her.

"Let's go," Kevin said, and turned his fists into maces again.

**-(X)-**

"ECHO ECHO!"

Ben felt reality expand beyond his senses for a moment and six other Ben's jumped out of his body, all with Four Arms, Heatblast head, Cannonbolt backs, Chromastone protrusions, and XLR8 legs.

"Woah," all seven Bens said at once.

Then Brozz caused an abyss to open in the ground beneath their feet and two Bens fell into oblivion.

The original Ben shivered at watching himself fall to his own death. He pushed the feeling aside and charged at Brozz, turning into a cannonball halfway through his run. The spinning made it hard to keep precise track of his distance but he sped up anyway hoping to run over Brozz.

Instead Brozz formed a giant spade out of magic and jammed it into the ground between them. Ben struck the magical barrier and tumbled end over end to the side. Fortunately, two other Bens had the same idea and rolled past, around the spade, and slammed into Brozz one after the other. The first knocked him back a few feet in surprise, and the second ran straight over him.

Two other Ben's closed in on the prone Brozz and opened their mouths to scream. They buffeted the Chamatronian on two sides causing him to be tossed slightly back and forth under the pressure.

Brozz shoved his hand into the ground and created a row of angled spikes around him like a ring, then caused that ring to quickly expand towards several of the Bens, forcing them back. When they were too distant to move him, Brozz traced a rune in the air with his fingers and caused a dozen stone golems to arise from the rubble and advance on the remaining Echo Echo Bens.

The original Ben took this opportunity to fly into the air and freeze several of the golems with Big Chill's breath. He caught six of them in his shot before an arrow shaped bolt of purple energy shot out of the sky and struck him in the back, sending him plummeting to the ground. He crashed hard and skid to a stop in front of Brozz.

Ben struggled to lift his head and look up. "Uh, hi."

Brozz bent down to loom over him. "This is it? This is the strength of the great Ben Tennyson? That time traveler put too much faith in you."

"And you killed him for it," breathed Ben.

"A trifle," said Brozz. "A mere nuisance. Just like you. Enjoy oblivion, I certainly didn't." He raised a glowing fist that grew jagged black spikes as it moved.

A loud whistle distracted Brozz and he turned his head for the source. A dozen yards away stood Kevin, Gwen, Charmcaster, and Kai. Kevin lowered his hands form his lips and stepped aside to let Gwen move forward.

"That's not his strength," said Gwen. "That's just the Omnitrix. _We're_ his strength."

Kevin leaned over slightly. "_Ultimatrix_," he said quietly.

Gwen waved him off. "Whatever," she whispered.

"Oh?" asked Brozz, standing tall again. "And what can you do that _his_ technological marvel cannot?"

"Just this," said Charmcaster, and gestured simply to Kai.

The younger dark haired girl lifted her hands again and pointed them at Brozz. Then she clenched her fists tightly and grimaced. "Unng!" she groaned.

Brozz suddenly fell to his knees and looked up in shock as his eyes flared purple briefly. Then he roared loudly and pounded his fist into the ground causing the earth to shake and split in a zig sagging line towards Kai. Where the ground opened purple flames erupted from the darkness beneath.

Charmcaster and Gwen both stood side by side in front of Kai and held up their hands. Gwen's eyes glowed and Charmcaster chanted loudly as a stone edifice emerged from the ground and a series of magenta barriers surrounded them, causing the crack in the earth to stop dead in its tracks in front of the barriers.

"Kevin!" yelled Gwen.

Kevin leaped over the barriers and slammed his enlarged fists into Brozz, crushing him against the ground. Then he grabbed Ben and threw him back towards the girls, before blocking a hulking swing from Brozz that caused the ground under his feet to compact.

Kai groaned again. "He's fighting it," she said. She twisted her arms slightly and wrenched her eyes shut in a look of pain. "I... I don't know if I can do this—"

"You can do it," Charmcaster said over her shoulder.

"We believe in you," said Gwen. She looked over at Charmcaster, who nodded with a grin in response. "We'll buy you some time."

Gwen swung her arms behind her causing the barrier to bend at a sharp angle and ressemble a huge snow plow. Charmcaster changed her chant and the stone warped into a giant ballista with the plow at the head of a huge bolt.

With a windup, Charmcaster slapped her hands together causing the ballista to fire, sending the mana-tipped bolt into Brozz, slamming him into the ground with enough force to fling chunks of stone – and Kevin – flying back.

Kai sighed roughly. "That's at least making it a little easier," she said.

Gwen began running on energy platforms towards the remaining Echo-Bens and stone golems. She flung several bolts as she ran, causing several golems to crumble and others to be knocked back long enough for the Echo-Ben fighting them to strike back.

When most of the golems were dust, Gwen shouted at the Echo-Bens. "Get back to Brozz, we need to wear him down!"

Charmcaster, meanwhile, was quickly casting more spells. "You think those are golems, Brozz?" she scoffed. "I've been making those since I was ten. Try _this!_" Finishing the spell, she raised her arms up like she was controlling a marionette and a swirl of purple energy grabbed chunks of metal and stone and formed a single stone golem, roughtly forty feet tall, and looking identical to Charmcaster save for the coloring.

The golem-Charmcaster stomped forward and swung its fist down to slam into Brozz, who only barely leapt aside... right into a two-fisted punch from the original Ben. He was thrown back into the golem's wrist and fell to the ground face first.

Still Brozz rose again, slower this time than last, and charged at Ben, summoning a giant club from the ground using his mana and swinging wildly. Ben deflected one swing intended for his head, then turned intangible to avoid the others as he flew to the side.

Brozz growled as he turned to follow Ben, only to find the trio of remaining Echo-Bens there. They unleashed three streams of fire at him from their hands engulfing him in fire and pushing him back again. He took two steps back before he was getting repeatedly struck by mana bolts from Gwen behind him and couldn't move any further. He fell to the ground and sunk his fists into the stone beneath him. The rocks around him rose up to create a dome over him, but the Echo-Bens and Gwen continued their onslaught, chipping away at the protective barrier. Kevin ran up and began pounding on it with his fists and Ben opened his mouth and used Echo's attack to cause cracks to open up across the shield.

Then Charmcaster's golem swung its fist down on it and it shattered around Brozz, who exploded into energy, throwing the Echo-Bens and Gwen away, but only slightly pushing Kevin and original Ben back.

Brozz was howling as he tried radiating energy in all directions to keep Ben and company away, but slowly his black scales were starting to turn gray and the runic lines were retreating back towards a singular, bold magenta rune in the center of his chest.

Ben planted his feet and began pushing forward trying to close the distance to Brozz. He felt the crystals around his shoulders and back crack under the pressure and the yellow armor plating from Cannonbolt began to crumble. Ben grit his teeth as his wings melted and faded away.

Brozz stared at Ben and poured more energy onto him. "No!" he screamed. "Not you! NOT AGAIN!"

Ben faltered under the push and his small knees threatened to break. Then he suddenly felt strong arms holding him up from behind.

He glanced back to see Kevin there, pushing him forward. The stone covering his skin had fractured and most of it had fallen away round his face and legs, but his giant hands were still pushing him onward.

Ben turned back towards Brozz and held up his four arms in front of his face and tried to push forward. Slowly he advanced.

Brozz started to back up. "No! The Tennysons are nothing!" he yelled. Then he felt his tail brush up against a wall, and he turned to see Charmcaster's golem holding both its hands there, boxing Brozz in even as the fingers started to break apart from the radiant mana.

Gwen flew down and landed behind Kevin. She placed her hands on his shoulders and magenta plates of armor grew around him and Ben, and they advanced even closer.

Brozz pressed his back against the stone golem and turned all his energy into a single beam directed at Ben. But still the hero moved forward as more of Brozz's scales turned gray and dull. He fell to his knees again and didn't get back up as he pushed more power through his arms.

Ben stepped close enough to Brozz and pushed his hand forwards. He felt like the skin on his fist would melt away but he bore through and felt his fingers brush over the Alpha Rune. A jolt of painful energy ran up Ben's arm and he felt the parts of XLR8 and Heatblast fade away. He flinched back briefly and felt his chest tighten and burn. With a deep breath, he pushed forward again and this time wrapped his fingers around the rune.

"No! It's mine!" yelled Brozz as Ben tugged. He could feel Brozz trying to pull away but Ben kept his grip. Strange energy danced up his arm and lanced across his chest painfully. The two extra arms from Four Arms dissolved, leaving him with the disorienting sensation that someone had just cut off two of limbs.

Ben gripped the rune tightly and reached with his other hand to grab Kevin for leverage. He planted his feet and pulled, grinding his teeth together and he felt is slowly pulling away from Brozz's chest. Then there was a sudden lurch and the rune came free only to be grabbed again by Brozz before Ben could pull it fully away.

Ben looked through the glowing blazing light coming from Brozz and the rune. Brozz's face was cracked and gray now, his angrily scowl causing light to bleed from the creases between his scales. He was furious and desperate at the same time.

"No more," said Ben simply. Then he pulled again and the rune was ripped from Brozz's fingers and flew away. Kevin fell backwards with Ben and the directed attack faded away as Brozz staggered away with his hands against his face.

Screeching, Brozz stumbled about glowing brightly in blue-white light that was almost blinding.

"What's happening now?" asked Kevin loudly as he threw Ben off of him.

"I have no idea!" yelled Ben. He looked around for anyone to provide him more information and saw Kai slowly approaching Brozz with her hand slowly closing in on each other.

"I've got him," said Kai confidently. As her hands approached each other the bright light coming from Brozz dimmed and retreated into his body until her hands touched and the light ceased altogether, leaving a slowly breathing but unmoving Chamatronian lying on the ground. He'd turned completely gray and looked like he'd fallen out of an old photo.

Kai approached him cautiously and kept her hands held together. Brozz did nothing but breathe out labored breaths and look back at her. Ben and Gwen walked up as well.

Kai looked over at Ben. "What now?" she said.

Ben looked at her hands. "What are you doing?"

Kai frowned and looked down at Brozz again. "I'm keeping his energy levels as low as possible. He barely has the power to move anymore."

"Is that why he's..." Gwen started and then motioned towards the gray scales.

Kai shook her head. "That's not me. He used up something fundamental to himself trying to hold onto the Alpha Rune." She shrugged. "I doubt he'll ever be that strong again."

Ben nodded. "Then we take him back to the Null Void."

"I'll... escape..." wheezed Brozz.

"Not likely," said Gwen.

"Come... back," continued Brozz. "Kill... you... all."

Ben kneeled down. "Then we'll stop you," he said. "We always stop you. After two hundred years you still don't get that?"

"Next... time..." started Brozz.

"No, there's no more next times," said Ben. "Not for you. We know how to stop you now." He looked up to Kai with a smile. "We're not going to forget."

"RAAAAAAH!" roared Brozz suddenly. Ben leapt back in case he was about to launch a last attack. Suddenly lines of white light began creeping over Brozz's face and then down his neck into his body. He writhed under the light and screamed.

"What are you doing?" asked Ben to Kai.

"It's not me!" Kai said, panicked. "It's coming from somewhere else."

The white light expanded until it covered his entire body and then in a flash, he crumbled to a dust with a distant scream, leaving behind a gray pile.

Kai lowered her arms. "He's... just gone."

Gwen looked at the dust and poked it with her finger. "It's ash," she said. She put her other hand to her chin and looked thoughtful.

Ben's chest then chirped and there was the sound of something powering down. A rush of green energy crackled around him as the Ultimatrix moved from the center of his chest to wrist again. He rubbed his chest absently. "That was pretty awesome, though it was really starting to hurt at the end."

The Ultimatrix chirped again and the faceplate began flashing red and black. Then purple energy began crackling around the watch.

"What the—" started Ben, but then the watch exploded, sending him flying.

**-(X)-**

"Ben!" yelled Gwen as she rushed off to see where her cousin had fallen. But Charmcaster found it hard to pay attention. It seemed really inconsequential at the moment.

Because it was in her hands.

The purple rune was quietly radiating energy and Charmcaster could feel it flowing gently up her arms and into her body. It was magnificent. Like a plant holding the sun between its leaves.

This was _meant_ for her, she was sure of it. Brozz and Adwaita, they were interlopers, foreigners. They were _thieves_. The Alpha Rune could never work for them like it could work for her. She could do anything now, anything at all. Reality warped slightly around her as she even considered the possibilities.

She laughed. It hard not to. She'd waited her whole life for this and here it was. Her dreams made real. She could hardly believe it. Never again would she live in fear of those simpletons who hated her power.

Even better: they could now live in fear of her.

She laughed louder because it was so funny.

"Charmy," said Cabra from... somewhere else, it didn't really matter where. "Are you okay?"

Charmcaster turned her head to look at her Aunt. She looked so timid, so small. She was small. Everything was small compared to her. She had to fight the urge to simply flick her away and make the world forget about her. It would take less effort than to actually answer her meaningless question.

"Of course, I'm okay," said Charmcaster. "I'm better than anyone who has ever lived."

"You..." started Cabra but she seemed afraid. She should be. "You _feel_ better, right?"

Charmcaster rolled her eyes. "Feel better. Am better. What difference does it make?"

"It makes a big difference," said Cabra. "You're not a god."

Charmcaster laughed again. "Oh, and _she_ was?" she pointed at Gwen without looking. "Like you even understand what that word means."

"Charmcaster!" said Abara, loudly. "We're your family."

The ground swelled up beneath Charmcaster's feet and she towered over her 'family.' "You are small things that live inside small minds." She flicked her wrist and a huge chunk of the destroyed remnants of Nis Virda cracked away and dissolved into mana. "You live in his hovel and scurry about hoping not to be stepped on and call it a life. We were tortured! Retribution is our _right!_"

"They were just afraid!" pleaded Abara.

Charmcaster glared back. "They have every right to be, now."

"You _know_—" started Abara, but Charmcaster cut him off.

"Be quiet." She waved her hand Abara could no longer speak. "I will not be pushed aside again, not when I have the power to stand up."

"Don't do this."

Charmcaster spun around to see Gwen standing on a glowing platform behind her. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was frowning.

"I don't have to listen to you either," said Charmcaster.

"But you will," said Gwen softly.

Charmcaster felt anger rise up within her and she moved her tower of rock closer to Gwen's so she could look down on her. "Why? Why should I listen to you? You're not better than me anymore! I'm the one with the power nobody else can match. I'm the one who's special!"

"You were always special, Charmy," said Gwen.

Charmcaster seethed and then promptly turned her back on Gwen. "I didn't give you permission to call me that. _Don't_ call me that."

"I understand how you feel," said Gwen. "But this isn't want you want."

"You don't _know_ what it's like! _They_ don't know what it's like. They need to feel it. To realize what they did to me. What they did to all of us!"

"They won't," said Gwen. "You can push them down as hard as you want but they won't understand you any better." She sighed. "They'll just hate you."

Charmcaster looked back at Gwen and saw her sad expression. She'd dropped her arms to her side and looked even smaller than she...

"I know you don't want that."

She...

"I know how much it hurt you."

Charmcaster shook her head. Gwen didn't understand, she didn't! All she ever did was be better at magic than Charmcaster. All she ever did was be borne into strength without even having to work at it!

Though... she did. Even Charmcaster knew that. She always had her dumb nose in some book. Always working herself to death for stupid human reasons when she _should _have just followed her cousin into space. Then she could be as strong as Sunny was.

Sunny. Her cousin who was stronger than her at their anodite powers. And her other cousin, who blundered his way through using the Omnitrix and got galactic glory for his idiocy. And her family... the grandfather every treated as legend. Her parents who wished she was normal and tried to hide her heritage from her. And her thuggish boyfriend who once hated her and tried to kill her...

And there she was, standing proudly in front of a _real god_ and telling her to be kind. KIND!

"I can't..." Charmcaster said quietly so only Gwen could hear. She raised her hands, charged with mana. "This is all I have in me. Without my hate I have nothing."

Gwen stepped of her platform onto the tower that Charmcaster was on. The sorceress retreated back but Gwen persisted and took her glowing hands.

"You're wrong," said Gwen. "Your father died for you because he believed you could save Ledgerdomain."

Charmcaster winced at the mention of her father. "You don't know that," she said dismissively.

"I do," insisted Gwen. "Because I met him."

Charmcaster stared, her mouth agape.

"He told me he's been waiting for you for a long time," said Gwen. "He said you have always been special. That with the Alpha Rune you could bring true life to Ledgerdomain."

"H-How?" The words barely made their way out of Charmcaster's mouth.

"I don't know," Gwen said honestly. "It's your gift. The one he believed in."

"I-it's not possible," said Charmcaster, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. Her father... how much she missed her father and just refused to think about it.

"It is, that's why ne named you the way he did," said Gwen.

Charmcaster couldn't speak, something was caught in her throat. Could it be true? Was it possible she... wasn't... just this? Was she more? Was Gwen just making it all up?

"He named you Hope."

Yes. He did. And she hated how wrong it was. She hated that her true name was false. But that's the problem with Hope, it doesn't become real until you believe in it.

Could she believe?

"Live up to it," said Gwen with a smile. She pointed to ruined and broken landscape around them. The people looking up towards them from below filled with worry and anticipation. The many thousands out there in Ledgerdomain wondering how things when with Adwaita. "Make it grow."

A tear fell down Charmcaster's cheek and she thought of roses. So many roses.

Where her tear hit the ruined earth, it grew green. First grass, then small plants, and then a single rose that rose up seeking a sun that had never risen before. It was small, but strong, and beautiful. Then the green began to grow down the side of the tower, across the ruined land and through what remained of the city. Roses sprung up everywhere, as did the tiny sapling of trees and shrubs, flowers, and tall stalks of wheat. In the city of cold stone and steel, Charmcaster saw the beginnings of a forest.

It was too much for even her stoic nature to handle, and she finally broke, crying into Gwen's arms as the city around her learned about life for the first time.


	18. Epilogue

**Plumber's Charm**

_Epilogue_

* * *

The brass pocket watch sat still on the table in front of Gwen and she watched it searchingly hoping for an epiphany. She was sitting on benches behind Bellwood hospital after the rush and hustle that accompanied their return from Ledgerdomain. Ben and Julie had been rushed off to be examined since they were still unconscious and the rest of them got looked at for the large series of cuts and bruises they'd accumulated from a full day of fighting nonstop. Gwen got by with a few bandages and Kevin didn't even need that, so they found themselves with idle time to hang around the hospital and wait for news on everyone else.

And so they had a bit to eat, called their respective parents, and were now drinking sodas in the parking lot watching the sun set. Well, Kevin was watching the sunset, Gwen was watching the pocket watch.

"What is that?" asked Kevin after he'd had enough of her only passingly paying attention to his discussion of what to do with Hex's enormous manor.

"It's Paradox's pocket watch," said Gwen. She poked it gently and its cover popped open to show it's stopped hands. "Charmy found it where he died and brought it with her when they came forward."

"Is it magic?" asked Kevin with a raised brow.

"Don't think so," said Gwen.

"So it's just an old watch," said Kevin.

"Paradox's old watch."

Kevin grunted and folded his arms. "So why has it got you so perplexed? Take to a jeweler and get the battery changed."

Gwen shook her head. "It's a wind-up, and even that isn't working."

"Then it's broke," said Kevin.

"I know," nodded Gwen. "But why?"

"Probably because Brozz busted it," said Kevin. "Why do you think there's another reason?"

Gwen studied the watch carefully. "Because of what happened to Brozz."

Kevin turned to more directly face his girlfriend. "What do you mean?"

Finally sitting back, Gwen put her hands behind her head and noticed the sunset for the first time. "The way he suddenly dissolved into dust, it sounds like what happened to Paradox when he died. Left nothing but a jacket and a pile of ash." She shook her head. "And there was this one thing that he said to us the last time I saw him."

"In the restaurant?" asked Kevin.

"No, the rooftop." Kevin stared at her. "Charmcaster and I ran into him when they first got back from the past. And _earlier_ incarnation of Paradox came to talk, before he went back in time and died."

Kevin's eyes nearly crossed. "Man, nothing makes sense with him."

"Anyway, he said that a time walker must always be moving forward or else he'll be destroyed _between the ticks of a clock_." Gwen sighed. "I wonder if he was trying to hint at something."

"What does that have to do with Brozz," said Kevin.

"Well, time is not an absolute in Ledgerdomain, you sort of have to carry your own inertia with you – as Charmy says – to stay in sync with everything else." Gwen lowered her arms again and rested them on her lap. "Without the Alpha Rune and with Kai nullifying all of his energy, I doubt he was paying much attention to his personal time. I think it caught up with him."

"Literally?" asked Kevin. "Like, that wasn't just a metaphor for missing a chance at something?"

"He certainly seemed serious about it," said Gwen. "I don't know. But it just ... it seem curious. Like there's a piece left unsettled."

"And you think it has to do with this watch," said Kevin.

"It's all we have left of him," said Gwen. "We sorta gave his bag of gumballs to his younger self." She paused. "I wonder if that means those gumballs are caught in a temporal loop."

"The watch, Gwen," reminded Kevin.

"Right, so, what if it was just something simple?" asked Gwen, picking up the watch and holding it in her hand. "What if his time is literally connected to the ticks of not just any clock, but _this_ one? I mean, I've never seen him without it."

"I've never seen him without that coat either," said Kevin. "Or the goggles."

"But he didn't mention the coat or the goggles," said Gwen. "And maybe it's nothing but... I think it's important."

"So what do we do?" asked Kevin. "Fix the watch?"

Gwen held her hand over the watch face. "I think I just have to get it to move again." Her eyes glowed as she moved her fingers swiftly above it. The second hand on the watch radiated with her energy as she slowly made motions like she was grabbing it. Then she twisted her wrist just enough to start the second hand moving again.

Brigh white light poured out of the watch and it lifted itself out of Gwen's hand to hang suspended in the air for moment. Then the light became blinding and Gwen and Kevin had to look away and cover their eyes for a second before it died away.

Gwen rubbed her eyes and then looked back to find Paradox, standing on the bench, with a look of surprise on his face.

"Oh my," he said, looking around. He noticed the watch on the table in front of him and bent down to pick it up. "What did I miss?"

**-(X)-**

"Hey, champ."

Ben's eyes slowly opened and he tried to focus on the blurry shapes in front of him. He felt like he was immersed in a thick liquid. Moving or even feeling anything was slow and numb. He blinked slowly and deliberately to try to clear up his vision. Eventually he saw his grandparents, Max and Verdona, standing beside his bed in a white hospital room.

"Grandpa?" asked Ben, frowning. "Wha... what happened?"

"You pushed yourself a little too hard," said Max. "The Ultimatrix bore the brunt of it, but once you changed back to your regular old self, well, it caught up to you all at once."

Ben blinked again and looked down at the bed. "Am I alright?"

Verdona reached out and gently stroked his head. "A little sleep, some good food, and you'll be fine."

Ben closed his eyes and turned his head. "As long as it's not earthworms, that's fine with me."

"Ben," Max said before he could drift off. "There's something else you need to know."

With effort, Ben opened his eyes again and looked up at his grandparents. "What? Is Brozz back?"

Max smiled. "No, he's gone for good."

Ben nodded. "Good."

"It's... about the Ultimatrix," said Max hesitantly. He reached over to the table and picked up a blackened and twisted piece of metal that bore the Plumber's logo on the top of it. "It's ruined, Ben."

"What?" Ben said, his eyes opening wide. He tried to sit up but felt so dizzy he could puke. He fell back against this pillow and covered his mouth. "How did—"

"Don't know," said Max. "Gwen thinks it was holding the Alpha Rune while in that Ultimate Ben mode."

Ben stared at the Ultimatrix. "We need to find Azmuth."

"I don't know where to look," said Max. "Kevin found some information in the central database that hints at a 'Galvan Prime Mk2' but we don't have any idea where it might be. As usual, we'll probably have to wait for him to come to us."

"Surely with the Ultimatrix destroyed..." said Ben, but then sighed. "He probably thinks this is opportunity for me to learn something."

"He would be right," said Verdona softly. "Maybe you should take some time off, not throw yourself into danger at every single opportunity." She looked sad. "Nobody can be so lucky forever."

"It's not luck," said Ben, then he yawned. "It's skill. I'm just that awesome." He yawned again.

"So modest," said Verdona wryly. She looked to Max. "You agree, right? He should at least have a childhood first."

Max looked grimly at the Ultimatrix. "It's certainly not a typical after school job," he said. "But I wonder what would have happened to me if Ben wasn't there. What would have happened to the world?"

"You can't put that pressure on him," said Verdona sharply.

"It's okay—" Ben yawned again. "—Grandma, it's what I do. I'm a hero."

Verdona patted Ben's shoulder. "I'm trying to get you to survive to be a old and aged hero."

Ben's eyes drooped and his head fell back against the pillow. "Like grandpa?" he said before falling asleep.

Verdona looked at Max and motioned towards the door. They quietly walked out and into the hospital hallway.

"He looks up to you," said Verdona.

"Recently, anyway," said Max.

"You can get him to stop," insisted Verdona.

Max laughed. "He's _not_ going to stop, surely you must see that. It's in his blood."

"Cursed blood," Verdona said in a hollow voice. "How much of our family has been dragged into such violent action?"

Max sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, there are fights to be fought or people will suffer. People who don't have the means to defend themselves like we do."

Verdona bit her lip and then reached out and hugged her once-husband tightly, pressing her cheek into his shoulder. "Tell me you're done. Tell me you're ready to Anodyne with me." She hesitated. "Tell me I don't have to hear about your death on the Plumber network again."

Max wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Not just yet. Ben isn't done needing me."

Verdona pulled back just a bit. "When? Won't he always need his grandfather? Will it only end in your grave? You died once already."

"I wasn't really dead," said Max.

"That's not the point," said Verdona angrily and she pushed them fully apart. "I had to _read_ about you, Max. I don't... I can't see that again."

Max looked down. "I'm not sure how much longer. Ben is still growing, his importance to this galaxy is still on the rise. I need to see it through. Then... when he's fully grown into his own, then I'll be ready to come."

Verdona looked at him skeptically. "What makes you think I'll keep waiting?"

Max smiled warmly and took Verdona into his arms again from behind. "When you left, all those years ago, you told me it was your people's way to be fickle. That all our mortal beings were just passing fancy. That it was _human_ to cling to a person." He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Why have you waited so long already?"

Verdona looked down. "Yeah, I'm a bit of a liar," she said with a smile. She turned in his arms and punched him gently in the shoulder. "But you _knew_ that and still have made me wait."

Max nodded. "There will come a time... soon... that I will be ready to leave this all in the hands of the next generation. You have to believe me."

Verdona reached up and caressed his face. "I believe that _you_ believe it. I just don't know how true it is." She looked into his eyes. "And it terrifies me that even this, the Highbreed, and Brozz, is still not the toughest challenge ahead."

"There is always someone bigger," said Max.

**-(X)-**

Nobody was quite sure what to do with him, so he ended up locked in an equipment shed in the hangar where Kevin kept the Rustbucket III. There was little for Hex to do or see in the windowless room, save for sit on the folding chair or stare at the bare bulb protruding from the ceiling.

He'd been in there days now, fed and given access to a bathroom, but offered very little hospitality from his jail keeper, the ignoramus named Phil. If it weren't for the absence of his staff, his books, or any magical items at all, he would have blown the metal shed apart and fled into space.

As it was, though, he could only sit and think. And he hated to think.

The sound of grinding metal announced Phil's attempts to open the door. The shed was not designed for prisoners so they had hastily affixed several extra locks and barriers on the door that were apparently not easy to remove given the screeching and ear piercing grind that accompanying its opening.

The door finally creaked open and Hex was taken aback. Instead of the lumbering form of Phil the former Plumber, stood a beautiful woman in a flowing, colorful gown with a regal looking, but ultimately simple and restrained circlet.

"Who are..." started Hex as the woman walked in but as soon as she reached the light inside the cell he could see her facial features clearly. "Charmcaster?"

"Uncle," Charmcaster said simply. "It seems we must meet like this from now on."

"Why are you..." he asked but couldn't finish. She looked down at him with such authority, such inner strength, he found it hard to bear speaking without permission.

"I have come to offer you a choice," she said. "I have reached an agreement with the Plumbers, who are willing to let you pass into my care so that I might bring you home."

"Home?" asked Hex. "To... Ledgerdomain?"

Charmcaster nodded. "Yes. To stand trial."

Hex blinked. "Trial?" he said, sounding outraged, but Charmcaster quieted him with a raised hand.

"We know you betrayed our plans to Adwaita to save your skin," said Charmcaster. "And we know exactly how well your efforts worked out for you... and our people." She turned away. "Adwaita killed thousands before we arrived and our battle – we allowed even more to die." She rubbed her temples.

"There was no way to know—" started Hex.

"It doesn't matter!" shouted Charmcaster as she turned back. "You understand there are things like right and wrong, correct?"

"The morals of lesser—" started Hex.

"Wrong answer!" said Charmcaster.

"Since when do you care?" asked Hex. "I raised you for ten years and you never once balked at what we did. At WHO we did it to. When we did it. Did you shy away from attacking guards at Bellwood prison? Did you have a problem hiring intergalactic bounty hunters to chase down Ben Tennyson and his _worthless_ cousi-"

Charmcaster slapped him. "That cousin was there for me in a way you never were. And don't talk about her family. Or her friends." She crossed her arms. "Because I'm one of them."

She pushed Hex back into his folding chair. "I'm here to offer you something you don't deserve, for a reason that defies all reason."

"What's that?" asked Hex. "The _pleasure_ of being held trial by the princess of Adwaita."

"We won, Hex," said Charmcaster. "There is no Adwaita."

"So I have been told," Hex said. "And in you come looking like a queen. What should I conclude from that?"

"That your trial will be short and sweet," said Charmcaster. "And you will _endure_ it to see what we have made." She stared her uncle in the eyes. "It's our home, Uncle. You tried to sell out our home. And this isn't the first time."

"I tried to save you from what was obviously a suicidal move!" said Hex.

"We _won_!"

"And you knew that was going to happen?" asked Hex, standing. "You were so certain you could topple the owner of the Alpha Rune with a bunch of teenagers and a team of Plumbers who _used_ to be retired? You took a risk with everyone in your 'home' – which was a place you couldn't even remember living in when you were there – and you did it for vanity."

"Vanity? It was the right thing to do!" said Charmcaster.

"Maybe," nodded Hex. "But that's not why you did it. You did it because you wanted to be your father." He sat back down again. "And now you _are_ your father, and I'm sure that feels real good to you." He turned away from his niece. "I am not as simple as your new friends want me to be. I cared about your father, and I care about you. But I had other things I wanted too, and I made a choice to leave that world behind me."

"Come see it," said Charmcaster in a much more moderated tone than she had been using. "It's not what you remember. It's a garden now. It's completely reborn."

Hex looked up at his niece and shook his head. "Then it's not my home anymore." He leaned back in his chair. "No, I'll take my chances in the Null Void. "

Charmcaster stared at her uncle for a long while before turning towards the door. "Very well," she said. "I had hoped to show you father's dream, but it seems it's most important for your to be able to choose the _lesser_ of two destinies, so I will let you have your fate." She walked out of the light. "I wouldn't expect us to meet again."

She had made her way to the door and knocked on it twice before Hex sat up again.

"I'm glad you're still alive," he said softly.

Charmcaster stood in the open doorway with her mouth open but unable to pick the right words. She eventually just nodded and left.

**-(X)-**

She had checked his house, the manor, and Gwen's place before trying to look for him in the garage, which was arguably the place she should have started from. She found his legs sticking out from under his car, tinkering endlessly on the sports car with the worst luck. Over in the hanger area she could see Phil and Max walking and talking, but she had already said to them what she had cared to.

"Kevin," she said to the pair of legs.

"Yeah, what is it?" said Kevin.

"Grandpa is all packed up and ready to leave," replied Kai.

Kevin's legs moved and the rest of his body came into view. His face was smudged with a small amount of grease on his forehead and his hair was disheveled. "I guess that means you're ready too."

Kai nodded and watched as Kevin got up onto his feet and stood. He held out his hand after wiping it on a rag he had hanging from his belt. She shook it timidly.

"Back to the reservation?" asked Kevin.

Kai nodded. "It's our home."

Kevin released Kai's hand and shrugged non-committed. "I thought you might want to stick around a bit, since you know about your parents and all. You held your own in the fight, too."

"I, uh, thought about it," said Kai as she walked around to lean against the car next to Kevin. She crossed her arms. "But I don't think I'm really ready to do what you guys do on a regular basis. It's one thing to defend yourself or your friends, it's another to... go looking for things to fix." She looked up. "I'm not ready to commit to being a planetary defender." She looked towards Kevin and gave him a smile. "I will miss my teacher, though."

Kevin waved his hand dismissively. "It's not a big deal. I just gave you a few suggestions, it's not like I knew what I was doing. I'm not really the teacher-type."

Kai shook her head. "That's not true. You helped me a lot." She frowned slightly. "You changed my world. It's only because you believed in me that I could help with Brozz. Without your help I wouldn't have even been involved after grandpa got hurt."

"It won't always seem so rosy," said Kevin. "You'll never be able to think of yourself as normal again. That's not going to make your life easier."

"My life was never easy, trust me," laughed Kai. "I won't regret it though."

Kevin gave her a half-smile. "I'm glad. We might need your help again someday."

Kai stood up from the car again and moved in front of Kevin, holding her hands behind her back. "If you _ever_ need me, just call."

"I'll hold you to that," said Kevin, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Kai looked down. "I hope you do," she said quietly. Then she spoke up. "I'd better go."

Kevin nodded. "Stay safe, Kai."

Kai smiled and looked down for a moment, then shifted her weight subtly between her feet a few times. She looked awkwardly at Kevin's shoes for a moment then his car.

"Is there—" Kevin started.

Kai quickly threw her arms around Kevin's neck and gave him a hug. Then she turned her head and kissed him on the cheek. "It was a big deal for me," she whispered.

Then she released him and, after a brief glance at Kevin's befuddled face, ran off to meet up with her grandfather.

**-(X)-**

"Built from scratch, huh?" said Wes as he walked with Phil and Max next to the Rustbucket III. He put his hand against the fuselage and ran it across the smooth surface. "Puts your RV to shame, Max."

Max laughed. "He started from a Plumber RN-0995, so not entirely."

"And you started from a Winnebago," said Phil. "At least that has four wheels. The RN-0995 is a _personal_ transport, this is nearly a frigate."

Max looked over his shoulder where Kai and Kevin were talking on the other side of the garage. "Don't let him hear that, it'll go to his head."

"Raising all of them, are you?" asked Wes.

Max froze, then looked guilty. "They're just kids."

"Who save the universe," said Phil.

"I don't... it's not like with Carl or Frankie," said Max. "I just... try to help them mature."

"Max, I don't think what we did even compares to what these kids are doing now," said Phil. "Maybe the Capson Vortig comes _close_."

"Or the Alpha Normal," added Wes. "That was six weeks of strange."

"I admit that it's a new world," said Max.

"One that we may not be suited for anymore," said Wes.

"I... can't just leave them alone," said Max. "I had to for a while and—"

"Clearly they couldn't handle it?" asked Wes.

"No, it wasn't that," said Max.

"They got in trouble and you had to bail them out then?" said Phil.

Max looked between his two former partners. "No, they're very capable on their own." He paused under the combined stare. "They're my _kids_."

"We know, Max," said Phil.

Wes stepped around in front of Max. "How long are you going to give up your life for your family?"

"It's what you do, Wes, you're a father too," said Max.

"Yeah, Max, and I let my children grow up. And I don't keep Kai on a leash. She's going to leave someday soon and I'm not going to chase her because she might get hurt. If I do she'll never learn how to help herself."

Max shook his head. "They may not need me but I want to help. It will at least make it a little easier on them."

Wes laughed. "That's why we're here too," he said. "But it's not my whole life. Not anymore. It's why we retire."

"Or get arrested," said Phil, trying to be lighthearted.

Max sighed. "Can you really say I should let something _else_ take priority over my family?"

"Your family is more than your children," said Wes. "I noticed you sent Verdona away again."

"I would have to _really_ leave my children if I went with her," said Max.

"No you wouldn't, they're her kids too," Wes shook his head. "You just wouldn't be able to be here _all_ the time. But you can always visit, and come back when they really need you."

"Grandpa!"

Wes turned to see Kai running over and waving. She looked once over her shoulder at Kevin, then quickly sped up until she was right in front of the trio of old men. Wes smiled at her. "Ready to go?"

Kai nodded. "It's good to see you again, Max," she said. Then she looked to Phil, and held out her hand. "Thank you for the help."

"My pleasure, miss," said Phil with a smile. He shook her hand briefly then turned and offered the same hand to Wes. "Take care of yourself."

Wes returned the shake. "You too." He eyed Max. "Just some advice, old friend. Take back your joys. We don't have much time left for them."

Max nodded and gave Wes a hug. "I'll consider it. Be safe."

Kai and Wes then both nodded and headed out of the garage. Kevin walked up to them shortly afterwards looking in the direction the Greens left while rubbing his cheek.

"You okay?" asked Max.

"I guess," Kevin said absently. He looked supremely confused.

"Can you give me a lift, then?" asked Phil.

Kevin looked over. "Huh? Where?"

"Back to the Academy," said Phil, putting his hands on his hips. "That instructor, Korwak, was looking for volunteers to go after the former chairman."

"_Former_ chairman?" said Kevin.

Max nodded. "After the information you sent to the rest of central command, a formal inquiry was launched into the death of Ion. Lorbil tried to get it stopped and when he failed, he fled. No one's seen him since."

"We still don't know what his angle was," said Phil. "Or how involved he's been with Brozz's other activities. But finding him is a good place to start to get answers."

"And he doesn't mind working with an ex-con?" asked Kevin, grinning.

"He's seen fit to look over my transgressions given our role in exposing Lorbil and stopping Brozz," said Phil. He looked sideways at Max. "And, apparently, a recommendation from an influential Magister from a backwards tech level two planet."

Max smiled. "I don't just look after my kids."

"So, how about it?" asked Phil. "Can you drop me off? It's a quick trip for your ship."

"_Everywhere_ is a quick trip in my ship," said Kevin as he walked towards the gangway.

Max could hear Phil laughing as they walked up into the ship. He watched as the doors closed and engines started firing up. A few minutes later it was taxiing out and then flying away, leaving him alone in the hangar.

He kept his eyes on the horizon long after they had faded from view and wondered what the next thing to fall out of the sky would be, and how much it would change his world.

**-(X)-**

Ben knelt as he studied the pieces of the burnt out Ultimatrix laid out on his bedroom floor. Julie was laying on his bed looking down at the collection of parts while Ship slowly moved around the device in a circle, occasionally making motions like it was sniffing the air around the watch. He let out a sad moan when he was done.

"He can't do anything with it," said Julie as Ship jumped over to her. She rubbed his head softly as he purred.

"I figured," said Ben. He sighed. "It was worth a shot."

"Any chance Azmuth might stop by and fix it?" asked Julie.

Ben shrugged and got back up to sit on the bed next to her. "I can never tell what Azmuth is going to do. He might never show. He might show up later today."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Julie. She rolled onto her back and held Ship above her. The mechamorph squealed in delight.

"Get by, I guess," said Ben. "There are lots of Plumbers without powers, like Grandpa. I'll just become one of them."

"Ben 10 without an Omnitrix," said Julie. "What is that going to be like?"

"Hard work, I guess," he grimaced. "It sucks, I was getting really good at slacking off."

"Yeah, that's not something you should be proud of," said Julie. She dropped Ship beside her on the bed and turned on her side. "Are you going to be okay?"

Ben nodded. "Yeah, I'm just going to miss it. Being an alien hero is a lot of fun, even if occasionally I have to fight for my life or the survival of the planet."

"You're still a hero, Ben," said Julie. "The Omnitrix doesn't make you that, it just makes it easier."

"You're right," said Ben with a smile. "I'll be fine."

Julie looked at him skeptically and then her watch chirped. She looked at it. "Oh, I gotta go." She rolled off the bed and picked up her bag of tennis equipment. "Mom said she won't tolerate me being late."

"You're still in trouble with your parents?" asked Ben.

"Well, I did kinda leave the dimension without giving them a heads up," said Julie. "On a mission I didn't know if I would survive on. I can understand why they're angry."

"It was the for the fate of the Earth!" said.

"Doesn't mean I couldn't have called them first when we were planning it," said Julie. She shrugged. "It's alright. It'll only be a week." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "See ya later!" She bounded out of the room with Ship trailing behind.

Ben watched her go and his smile slowly faded.

"She didn't believe you, you know."

Ben yelped and turned around to see Paradox behind him and chewing on something. He quickly pulled out a bag and offered it. "Gumball?"

"Paradox!" said Ben, surprised. "Are you okay? Gwen said you came back but, she didn't explain everything."

"_Everything_ would have taken considerable time," said Paradox. He put the bag back into his pocket. "A briefer summary would be that I was gone and now I have returned."

"I... think I'd ask for a few more details than that," said Ben.

"I'm not clear on all of it myself, to tell you the truth," said Paradox. "My personal time had been stopped by Brozz and I would have thought that was the end. The sandweavers of ancient Persia spoke of legends that when a time walker stopped the great Dahaka beast would come to claim their soul." He shrugged. "I'm glad that wasn't the case. I hardly noticed the time I was gone."

"_We_ noticed," said Ben, gravely.

Paradox smiled. "And you, Ben," he said. "I have noticed you are not quite yourself. And your efforts to hide it from your girlfriend went equally poorly. We are all concerned."

"I'll be fine," said Ben.

"To borrow from a not so ancient colloquialism: Pull the other one."

"What?" Ben said, confused.

"Quite simply: I don't believe you," said Paradox. He walked around and placed his hand on Ben's shoulder. "It's more than the Ultimatrix, isn't it?"

Ben looked skeptically at the professor but nodded.

"So?" prompted Paradox.

With a reluctant sigh, Ben sat back down on his bed. "When I was a kid, just after getting the Omnitrix, I was visited by Gwen... from the future."

"I see," said Paradox, stoically.

"She used some... Archamada spell to turn back time and had me and Gwen - younger Gwen – come to the future to convince Ben – my older self – to stop being a jerk to his family." Ben rubbed his head. "This is confusing to explain. It made sense when it happened."

"I'm sure it did," smiled Paradox.

"Anyway, there were all these things that... looking back now are really strange," said Ben. "I still had the Omnitrix, for one thing, it hadn't been destroyed by Vilgax. And Gwen was like Charmcaster and didn't know about Anodyne, and there weren't any other alien Plumbers..."

"It was only a possible future for you, Ben," said Paradox. "It clearly didn't come to pass."

"But, that future me – who called himself Ben 10,000 – he turned into a mean person who pushed everyone away because he stopped caring about anything other than the job." Ben looked at the pieces of the Ultimatrix. "I swore I'd never become like him. But... I think... kinda... that I am."

"You're not alone by any measure, Ben," said Paradox.

"But am I headed there?" said Ben. "I think about the things I've done recently and I feel like, every time I make a hard decision it gets a little easier to make the next and... I'm losing myself. I'm becoming more like that jerk in the future, all alone, sitting in a tower."

Paradox nodded. "Maybe you are," he said. Ben looked at him in shock, but Paradox held up a hand. "Always in motion, is the future. The only thing that controls its direction is you, and you can take it anywhere you want it to go." He put his hand to his chin. "But perhaps you are you are focusing too myopically on a single possibility." He held out his hand to Ben. "Can I show you an alternative?"

**-(X)-**

Ben stepped onto the green metal plating of the ship's bridge and his jaw dropped. The huge panoramic view showing the Earth and the Moon was one thing, the fleet of a dozen other ships in near orbit was another, and the giant ship's bridge with dozens of officers in black and green uniforms were yet another! Everyone was moving about or waving their hands in front of giant holographic displays, all before the view for a slightly raised platform that sat a single chair and with a single occupant.

Paradox cleared his throat loudly and then spoke. "Permission to come aboard, Admiral?

The chair turned around quickly and sitting it was an older man with black hair, a shortly cropped beard, and a regal uniform trimmed in silver. The frowning face on the man was familiar and it took Ben a second to realize who it was.

"You're late," said Kevin in a gruff voice. "You're a time traveler, and you're late."

"Of course I'm late, didn't Ben tell you, forty years ago, that I would be late?" said Paradox. He gently pushed Ben forward as they walked up to the captain's chair.

"Yeah," nodded Kevin. "But _you_ told me, _yesterday_, that you wouldn't be."

"As that is clearly an older Paradox than me, I would blame such oversights on senility."

"I'll remind you of that," said Kevin with a laugh. Then he looked down at Ben. "You just gonna gape at me?"

"What is all this?" asked Ben, finding his voice. "You're captain of this giant ship?"

"No," said Kevin, grinning. "I'm Admiral of this giant fleet."

"Woah," said Ben. "A Plumber fleet?"

Kevin laughed again. "Of course not." He turned and motioned to the giant windows at the perimeter of the room. "This is the 101st Fleet of the Planetary Federation, and you're on its flagship, the Omicron." He looked to Paradox. "Permission granted, by the way."

"Thank you, Admiral," said Paradox.

"What's the Planetary Federation?" asked Ben.

"That's a long story, but the short of it is this, a bunch of 'officially' Tech Level two planets got caught in the Khundian invasion and were being wrecked. The GP and the Plumbers refused to get involved in any meaningful way so Earth and the other planets rallied together under a third option: you."

Ben blinked. "Me?"

"Well, we all helped, but you were at head of the treaty," said Kevin. "The first act of the Planetary Federation was to form the First Fleet under the lead of Ben 10,000 as a defensive measure."

"How did you form a fleet with Tech Level Two planets?" asked Ben.

"They didn't," said Kevin. "The First fleet was – well, still _is_, really – made up of your friends. The allies of Earth came out in droves to protect the Planetary Federation, some because they owed us one, some because they couldn't afford not to, but most because... well, because they're our friends. It's why you have the name you do."

"My name?" asked Ben. "Ben 10,000? Isn't it because of all the aliens I can turn into?"

"You've been able to turn into over a million different aliens since you were in high school," scoffed Kevin. "It'd be a pretty inaccurate name if _that_ was what it referred to."

Ben shook his head. "I don't understand."

Kevin smiled. "The _reason_ why you were able to orchestrate such a monumental treaty, the reason why you are known as Ben 10,000, is because there are over 10,000 friends of yours out there across the galaxy who would come to your help if you asked them. It's probably the greatest force in the galaxy, all united because they know you."

Kevin stood up from his chair and stepped down next to Ben. He looked fondly at him, then punched him in the arm. "So don't go being stupid and worry about being alone some day. I'm certainly not going to let you do it."

"Ow," Ben said weakly. "Okay, okay, I get it! There's more to being a hero than the Ultimatrix."

"Good," nodded Kevin. He turned and walked back to his chair. Instead of sitting down, he pushed on a panel beside the armrest. "Number one, can you bring the good doctor up?"

There was a pause and then a female voice replied. "On our way, sir."

Kevin nodded. "So, we've got a gift for you, to keep your spirits up."

"A gift... for me?" said Ben. "Really? Isn't there some time paradox thing we need to worry about?"

"It'll be alright," said Paradox. "_This_ time."

"The Paradox of this time approved it too," said Kevin. "Though he was more reluctant than yours, even though he _remembered _approving it in the past."

"Time is fickle," said Paradox.

"Ain't that the truth," mused Kevin.

The doors onto the bridge opened up and the trio turned to look. Standing in the doorway in a black and green uniform with similar silver trim to Kevin was Kai. She was older, but still as shapely as ever, and walked purposely forward with a knowing grin.

And beside her was Azmuth, who... looked identical to how he always did.

"Azmuth!" Ben said. "Geeze, don't you ever get any older?"

"I'll take that a compliment, Tennyson," said Azmuth as he walked up. "You, of course, have looked better."

"I... wait, me now or me of the future?" asked Ben.

"You of our time," said Azmuth.

"Our time as in your time or—"

"By the gods, I forgot he was such an ignoramus at this age," said Azmuth.

Kai laughed and came over to give Ben a hug. "You look fine, in either time," she said.

"Uh, thanks," Ben blushed. "You also look fine." He paused, and then blushed harder. "I mean, you are good... you look good. Now... and then."

Kai smiled and walked over to stand next to Kevin. She pointed a thumb at Ben. "I think I remember why I found him so cute back then," she said.

"Don't remind me," said Kevin.

"So, uh, you said something about a gift?" asked Ben, trying to hide blush by not looking anyone in the eye.

"It's just a loaner, you understand," said Azmuth. "I'll want it back when you get back to this time again."

"What's a loaner?" asked Ben.

Kai cleared her throat loudly and then held up her arm to point at her wrist. Ben looked at her strangely, then his eyes widened. He looked down at his own wrist and saw a gleaming white watch there with green accents that formed the hourglass-like shape on the Omnitrix.

Ben smiled widely. "You fixed it! It's... so small now."

"I fixed nothing," said Azmuth, grumpily. "That is the Omnitrix."

"The... one I blew up?" asked Ben.

"That was a prototype," said Azmuth.

"The Ultimatrix?"

"That was yet another prototype," said Azmuth. "And a terrible one at that. Albedo had no idea what he was tapping into with his 'Ultimate' mode."

"So this is not a prototype," said Ben.

"Correct, this is the final version," said Azmuth. "So don't break it."

"So..." Ben said looked innocent. "Do I get to have the master code?"

"I'll leave that to the me from your time," said Azmuth. "Take it up with him."

"Awww," said Ben.

"And with that, we must go," said Paradox, placing a hand on Ben's shoulder.

"What? That's it?" asked Ben. "What about me? Do I at least get to meet myself? What about Gwen?"

"It's never too good to know too much about your own future," said Paradox. "You'll see what happens to everyone in time."

"Okay, okay, but at least tell me this," said Ben quickly. "Do I at least get to keep my hair?"

There was a popping sound and Ben and Paradox vanished.

Kai, Azmuth, and Kevin watched themgo and then looked awkwardly between each other.

"We should have told him," said Kai.

"'Return it to me,'" quoted Kevin angrily. "What the hell, Azmuth?"

"He deserves a chance," said Azmuth. He looked away. "You all do. Especially Guardian Gwendolyn."

"Yeah, and what if your little stunt screws up this future," said Kevin. "Because things could have turned out worse! What if now it does for that Ben? What if that Ben never becomes our Ben?"

"Then at least he'll have a chance to do it better," said Azmuth. "That's worth a little risk."

Kevin turned and sat back down in his chair with a scowl. "I sure hope you're right."

**-(X)-**

Sunny floated lazily in her physical form beside Gwen as the latter walked across the lawns of the manor. She had her arms folded behind her head and was flying backwards.

"Seriously, cous', you need to bail on this place," said Sunny. "It's a drag."

"It's my home," said Gwen with a roll of her eyes. "I'm not going to leave. Not now, anyway. Maybe someday."

"Ah, don't do it because of Grandma's stupid training," Sunny said with a wave of her arm. "You're clearly not limited by not having been to Anodyne. And the training is seriously boring. You want to know why it takes seventy-five years? So. Much. Repeating."

Gwen stopped and looked at her cousin. "Really?"

"YES," Sunny said, turning around to hang her arms and legs limply from her floating form. "I must have done basic mana making 101 like eighty-five times."

"No, I mean... you really think I don't need to go back for training?" said Gwen.

"Sure," shrugged Sunny, turning around on her back again. "Grandma talks it up a huge bunch, but adepts like you rarely find it anything other than mind numbing. You should leave here, but only because it's boring, not because you gotta go to Anodyne or anything."

Gwen sighed and after a moment she smiled. "Thank you."

"Hey, I'm no expert," said Sunny. "You still might lose your mind the next time you drop your skin, but I doubt it. You're not an idiot. Though you should still ditch this place."

Gwen nodded and continued walking towards the manor. She saw Charmcaster in the distance waiting patiently by the front door. "I'll have plenty of time to explore the universe," she said. "But right now I want to be here for Ben and Kevin."

"Your loss," said Sunny casually. "Either way, I'm heading back. Antonio is going to miss me."

"Antonio?" said Gwen.

"Oh, I haven't mentioned Antonio?" said Sunny with a grin. "He's my boyfriend. I'll have to bring him around next time. You'd find him a blast!"

"Uh... sure, I guess," said Gwen. "Next time."

Sunny flew up in the air, flipped around, and dropped down to land right in front of Gwen. She held up a finger and pointed it at Gwen with a smile. "I'll hold you to that." She winked. "Take care, cous'."

With a spin, she flew up into the air and vanished into the sky. Gwen wondered if she'd come to regret some aspect of that conversation, but she mostly was glad that _somebody_ didn't believe she needed more training. She smiled and turned back towards the manor and walked up to the door.

"She heading home?" asked Charmcaster politely.

"Finally," said Gwen. "Though she really did help us. I shouldn't be mean."

"I know you don't mean it."

"Eh," shrugged Gwen. She and Charmcaster began walking around towards the back of the manor. "So what's next for you?"

"Back to Ledgerdomain," said Charmcaster. "I need to visit the outer realms and see if any of the cities out there survived. After that I need to meet with what remains of the ruling council and see... where I fit in. I doubt I'll be back anytime soon."

Gwen looked surprised. "Ruling council? I – no offense – I thought you would have..."

"Taken over?" asked Charmcaster with a small smile. "No, I can't lie to myself anymore. That's not what father would have wanted. I can't do much about the worship but I shouldn't force myself into power." She shrugged. "Now, that said, not much remains from the pre-Adwaita days. As Spellbinder's only daughter I may BE all that's left of the ruling council. If that's the case I'll probably hold elections or something, but given all the worship I just mentioned it could end up on my shoulders anyway."

"Wow," said Gwen. "Are you ready for that?"

Charmcaster sighed. "No, but that hardly seems to matter."

Gwen reached over and patted Charmcaster on the back. "You'll do alright, Charmy."

Charmcaster looked over at Gwen in a bashful way. "Thank you." She looked up as they walked around the back corner of the house to where the Door to Anywhere was still standing. "In the meantime, since I won't be around, I've set some things up for you."

Gwen blinked. "For me?"

Charmcaster nodded. "Hex 'arranged' for the purchase of this property and land through a fake identity – Gideon Sands – which I've taken ownership of and used to transfer all his remaining assets to you."

Gwen stopped dead in her tracks and Charmcaster paused and turned a few steps later. "W-what? I own this house?"

Charmcaster nodded. "And all the property around it, including some miscellaneous accounts and records. It's all laid out in the study." She motioned towards the house. "You can review it whenever you want. I can't ... vouch for the legitimacy of all of it, but at least the land and house were purchased honestly."

Gwen stepped forward as if in a daze. "What—what am I going to do with a house?"

Charmcaster smiled warmly. "That's up to you, Gwen, though I'd consider moving the headquarters of your 'hero' work out of the Mr. Slushy parking lot."

There was a few moments of silence before Charmcaster continued walking towards the Door to Anywhere.

"I don't know what to say," said Gwen.

"You don't have to say anything," said Charmcaster. "It's me who has to say everything." She turned her head to the sky. "I spent years being angry with you. Almost a lifetime it seems. And I was wrong." She looked down as she walked. "I know I explained to you why I felt the way I did but never said how sorry I am that it took me so long to get over it." She turned to Gwen again. "I _am_ sorry. We could have been... friends, a long time ago."

Gwen smiled. "We're friends now. That's good enough."

Charmcaster closed her eyes for a moment and swallowed. "I don't know if I could have been so forgiving in your shoes." She shook her head. "I don't think anyone has been so kind and honest with me since my father. Everything I have now is because of you, because you didn't give up on me, because you believed me special when I wasn't."

"I just gave you some advice," said Gwen. "You did it all on your own. I said it before, you were always special."

Charmcaster nodded. "You're a kind liar." She rose her eyes to look at Gwen. "It's been... fun, fighting beside you this last week. I hope we can do it more."

Gwen laughed a little. "If you don't mind, I hope it isn't too soon, I would like a break before world destroyers."

Charmcaster laughed with her. "Alright. But I hope at least you'll visit. I've gone and left a very large door in your back yard just for that purpose."

Gwen laughed louder. "I will. I need to see this great world you're making."

They walked up to the dais of the Door to Anywhere. Charmcaster stepped up onto it while Gwen stayed on the lawn below. "This is it then," said Charmcaster. "My last look at Earth for a while." She stared intently down at Gwen.

"Well, you're welcome back any time," said Gwen.

Charmcaster's expression turned melancholy. "I wish I..." she started and then stopped herself. She laughed a little and squeezed her eyes shut for a second. "Everything I wanted, but..." she stopped again.

"Charmy?" prompted Gwen, looking concerned.

Charmcaster leaped down from the dais and quickly grabbed Gwen in a tight hug. "Don't wait too long to visit," she whispered urgently. Then she released her and fled up the stairs and through the portal in the Door to Anywhere.

Gwen stared, confused, as the last wisp of fabric of Charmcaster's dress was sucked into the swirling mana, and she felt the Door's gentle tug on her soul.

**- ( THE END )-**

* * *

Afterword:

What started on this laptop as a simple idea for a story about Max being a horn dog became an epic about the redemption of Charmcaster as a character. I rarely know where I'm heading when I begin a tale, which is probably why I'm so much more successful at fanfiction than I am at original fiction. You are all blessedly more tolerant of rambling works.

So, really, why did I write this? Yes, the genesis of this story began with the idea that something about the Tennyson blood makes aliens hot for them. The original series certainly seemed to establish Max as quite the player in the galactic space, and that only expanded in Alien Force when we discover Ben and Gwen are part-Anodite. I figured I'd show Ben struggling with Julie (as he does in the series) and bring back Kai as a previously established romantic interest. Then contrast that with the long history of Tennyson Plumbers getting their freak on. I even came up with a title, "Plumber's Charm", which was mostly a reference to how charming Max is established as being.

Then, shortly after starting, I decided I wanted to use more characters from the series and brought in Charmcaster, what with her name being so close to the title I picked. But as soon as she became involved, the story shifted focus. Why?

Because I hate what happened to Charmcaster in the series.

She started out as fairly interesting in the original Ben 10. Spunky, arrogant, a little dependent on Hex but she quickly grew out of that. But by the time she appeared in Alien Force she'd become a DC Comics villain with muddy intentions. Then by the time Ultimate Alien came along, she suddenly had a home dimension she always wanted to return to – which is completely at odds with her behavior up to that point. By the end of Ultimate Alien, they even went so far as to redeem her, then turn her into a basket case! She even dated the slimy Darkstar!

Nope. I couldn't stand for it. So Plumber's Charm became my fix fic for the awful abuse Charmcaster suffered. And, well, while I was in there mucking around with continuity, I figured I'd tinker with everyone else's backstory as well. So I harvested the better ideas from Ultimate Alien, and created my alternate Series 3.

Am I satisfied now? Nah, never. But I'm a little happier. Charmcaster isn't quite where I want her to be, but it was as far as I could push her in a week of character development. I'm also a shameless femslash tease, so naturally I tossed in some unresolved sexual tension with her and Gwen. Will it go anywhere? Not sure. I'm really disappointed with what I've seen of Ben 10: Omniverse, so I may continue this universe someday so as to fix that series too. (Yes, my arrogance is unbounded.)

Kai and Phil – These two bit characters appear in single episodes in the original series and are then forgotten. Kai is particularly interesting because Ben fixates on her for a while, if 'Perfect Day' is any indication. There is even a possible future where Ben marries her, as 'Ken 10' shows us. I thought it might be fun to bring her back at an age where Ben's interest is much less pre-teen and much more sexual. Unfortunately, that got derailed because I don't actually dislike Julie all that much. She's kind of a single-dimensional character in the series, but not an offensive one. I disliked the idea of putting her through pain. So Kai ended up adrift in this story for a while, until I latched onto the idea that Kevin would be a companion character to her. Thus, probably the first ever Kevin/Kai shipping fic was born.

Phil, on the other hand, was needed because of how much this story relied on the contradictory history of the Plumbers on Earth. He plays an important role: he's a former Plumber, one of Max's many partners, and he ended up getting shafted by the organization. But... why? How could that happen? The series goes on to develop the Plumber organization but the more it does, the more it brings into doubt that what happened to Phil could have been as simple as it was presented in the episode in question. The only answer that I could come up with to rectify this was that there were actually two Plumbers organizations, one that Max was running on Earth, and the one that protected the galaxy. Once that idea existed in my head, I had fertile ground to tell conspiracy stories.

Brozz – My poor villain gets the shortest straw in this story. We never REALLY find out what he was doing with Paradox's powers, and he kind of goes down like a chump in the end because he ignores the first rule of adventuring: 7 on 1 always goes badly for the 1. I wish I could say I had a terribly interesting backstory for him that I simply couldn't find room for, but that would be a lie. Brozz was a means to an end, a way to push the pieces around the board when I needed them to move. I hope it wasn't too transparent while you were reading, obviously it's pretty clear now.

Oh, in true StargateSG-1 tradition, I introduced a number of 'advanced' races and left one completely undescribed: the Thermians. Of course, if you've watched Galaxy Quest, then you already know what they're capable of.

The Future – I really love time skips. They give me the ability to seed new stories without actually having to commit to writing them. It also allows me to further my Kevin/Kai ship without explicitly stating anything. I also wanted to codify my distaste for how it appears the Plumbers run things in the galaxy, it's not a very effective solution, so my conclusion was that it really has to be a temporary one. Thus, the Planetary Federation makes sense. It also allows for an escalation over the futures shown in Ben 10,000 and Ultimate Ben.

The real future: I don't suspect I'll be revisiting this universe very soon, but I hope to be back someday. I just have a billion things on my plate right now and I need to wrap them up before starting anything new.

I'm just happy that a story I started writing in 2010 finally got completed in 2012. 390 pages and 105k words later.

Thank you for coming along for the ride! Leave a review if you liked it!

-acl


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